Forty Years' Gatherin's - Hardcover

Van Cleve, Spike

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0913504394 ISBN 13: 9780913504390

Publisher: Lowell Pr, 1977

Synopsis

His horse gear, a bedroll and a warbag containing a change or two of clothes - these worldly goods were about all the old-time ranch hand could call his own. They were prized possessions, though, and together were usually referred to as "my forty year' gatherins."

The stories in this book are Spike Van Cleve's forty years' gatherins - cherished memories of rugged, honest living in the clean air and mountainous rangeland near Big Timber, Montana.

Spike was born, raised and lived until he died in this land he called "the prettiest country God ever made . . .heaven can't be any better than this." There, he and his family-like his Dad and Granddad before him-ran the Van Cleve ranch, now a 20,000 acre expanse under the Crazy Mountains in south central Montana.

Spike Van Cleve was a natural born storyteller who was educated at Harvard but received his "learning" on the Montana range riding his horses and doing an honest day's work. In this collection of true stories about the land, the people, the horses and the good old times, Spike shifts like the wind, as in his touching story of "Cody and Terry," when the fatal crack of Spike's rifle signals the merciful end to a close partnership between a tearful cowboy and his favorite work horses. This sensitive, poetic story earned Spike Van Cleve a Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

About this title

About the Author:

Spike Van Cleve was born in 1912 on the family ranch established by his grandfather in 1880. After attending Harvard University, he returned to Montana to begin his career in ranching. In 1934 Barbara Knudson and Spike were married and they were to become the proud parents of four children.

In addition to the family's Ottger Creek Ranch, they have also continued to operate the historic LAZY K BAR Dude Ranch deep in the Crazy Mountains of Montana.

Since raising horses was his particular jooy, Spike served as president of the Northern Quarter Horse Breeders Association, was a lifetime member of the American Quarter Horse Association, served as president of the Dude Ranchers Association for two terms and served as chairman of the board of trustees and director of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center.

Spike was awarded Wrangler Awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame for his story, "Cody and Terry," and for the movie, "Spike - Montana Horseman" which is now being shown on PBS and used in college and high school classrooms.

About this edition

• Publisher: Lowell Pr
• Publication date: 1977
• ISBN 10: 0913504394
• ISBN 13: 9780913504390
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 301