CARNDUFF - Bar MW Ranch is located northwest of Carnduff, and the owners believe in ranching the traditional way when it comes to their cattle.
Russell Bayliss has lived on the family farm his entire life. His parents bought the farm in 1962 when they were married. They had 30 head of cattle, a handful of horses and 900 sheep. When they passed away, Bayliss took over the ranch and is second generation on the farm.
The farm is run by Bayliss and his wife Kathy Kyle, while their three children Gina, Jillian and Morgan Bayliss, often help out when possible.
Gina, the oldest daughter, lives in Toronto. She has a degree in musical theatre and is taking her advanced levels in stage combat. She also works as a stable hand at Medieval Times in Toronto.
Jillian is the middle child, and she resides in Regina and works at a Starbucks. She will be attending the University of Regina. Both daughters come home often to help on the farm with many of the tasks which include calving, vaccinations, checking the pastures, roundups and weaning.
Morgan is still in school, but is an accomplished horse trainer, and loves all the aspects of farming when it involves the horses.
According to Russell, his wife Kathy is the root of the farm. Kathy was a city girl, but now is a full-fledged rancher and is also an ordained minister for the United Church. She is no longer a full-time minister but does pulpit supply, many funerals and weddings.
Kathy takes care of all the accounting side of the ranch business, is the runner to get parts for equipment, and also feeds everyone. She enjoys the sorting and processing of the cattle, and although she does ride horses, it is not her favourite hobby.
They have a large herd of black Simmentals and black Angus cows, and plenty of horses that are used daily on the ranch.
Some of the horses are old, retired ranch-saddle horses that are used for visitors who need a safe ride, and others have a little more energy.
Morgan has five horses that are younger and are 小蓝视频 trained under saddle. Morgan received a pony when he was nine years old and successfully trained and showed her through the wise words of his father.
Morgan and Russell had also attended a clinic by Craig Cameron on how to start a young horse, and they found that the methods that they used were remarkably similar to what they were already using.
Last year Morgan and his mother attended a three-day training futurity called Road to the Horse. They witnessed some talented trainers, and he uses some of these methods on his horses. In his free time, he cowboys at the Coalfield pastures.
At one time, they raised draft horses but have not had a foal on the ranch in nine years. They are trying to raise some mules, but their donkey is a little shy.
The cattle begin calving in April and continue until June on a half section of land. The mature cows are pastured out, but heifers are kept on the farm until they calf. Heifers can be difficult and at times need coaching to be a mom or to go in the shelter.
They have pastures from Frobisher to Manor to Carievale, and all the pastures are checked on horseback.
There are no ATVs on the farm, if cattle need to be checked, horses are saddled, and they ride on out.
All the roping, vaccinations and branding are done with the well-trained horses from the ranch, and the whole family knows how to ride.
In October, the cattle are brought home in a cattle drive. They usually have 25 riders that take part in the event, and they ride regardless of the weather.
Russell said they have had people from nine different countries and six provinces join in on the tradition of bringing the cattle home.
During the cattle drive, Kathy makes sure that everyone is fed and watered, and there is always a home-cooked meal waiting for everyone on the ranch when the day is done.
The last big roundup is in December, when they bring in the herd to wean the calves in time to market the steers.
They leave at first light and the longest they ride is 30 kilometres. The cattle are herded slowly and steadily. Sometimes the cattle are pastured in between when it is a two- or three-day drive.
“I joke that even though I am a grumpy old man and the weather is bad, everybody comes for Kathy’s cooking,” said Russell.
Included in the cattle drives are the loyal family dogs: Bingo, Maddie, Coffee and Knightwing. They are often seen on the trail helping with a stray cow.
During the winter months, the animals are fed hay that is harvested from the ranch and grain is purchased throughout the season.
“We pride ourselves on ranching in the traditional way,” said Russell. “We try to enjoy most of our days but there is never a bad day on horseback.”
One of Russell’s fondest memories was of a first-time cowboy who was out on the trail.
“It was Kathy’s cousin David, and he was a CBC executive at the time who travelled from Vancouver to Toronto weekly,” said Russell. “We got up at 4 a.m., had a coffee, saddled the horses and rounded up cattle.”
Russell recalls it was a windy, cold and rainy day, and David was riding a kind of wild appaloosa in an 80-year-old high-back buckaroo saddle.
“He rode up beside me and said 'Russ do not ever change anything, as this is great' and he was smiling from ear to ear,” Russell said.
Russell believes that this is a wonderful way to live a life, and he loves the drives. Although like everything else it is work, he feels that this way is much more fun on horseback.
