Jim Dyer Heeling a Calf, Jeff Davis County,Texas
Jim Dyer Heeling a Calf
Dyer Ranch
Jeff Davis County, Texas
It was a rather cold, windy April
morning when I set out from my little
adobe house in Marfa at 5 o’clock in
the morning to photograph cattle
works on the Jim Dyer Ranch located
on Highway 505. When I arrived the
cowboys were just bringing the cattle
into the pens. It had been a dry spring,
and the dust was flying everywhere,
making it hard to see, let alone photo-
graph. I had no idea which man was
Jim Dyer, since I had only talked to him
on the telephone and had never met
him. After the cattle were penned and
the calves were cut away from their
mothers, the cowboys got off of their
horses and began to get ready for the
branding and marking of the calves. A
tall, slender man with a worn felt hat
and a friendly smile approached me
and introduced him-
self as Jim Dyer. One
observation I have
made over the years is
that you seldom see a
fat cowboy. Riding
horseback and doing
physical work keeps
men and women trim.
Also, I think it is a
code of the West to be
slim and trim. The
horses certainly appre-
ciate you more when
you stay thin. Because
they had a lot of cattle
to work that day, there
were two teams of five
men each and two
“heelers” – Jim Dyer
and his nephew,
Zach Dean. Heeling
requires perfect timing
on the part of the
roper and photo-
graphing the process
also requires perfect
timing to capture the
action at the most
Ted Harper, Rancher, Presidio County,Texas
expressive moment.
Cenizo
Ted Harper, Rancher
Harper Ranch near Casa Piedra
Presidio County, Texas
I had been calling Mr. Harper for
three weeks trying to get permission to
visit him and his wife, Frances. I had
heard many stories about Ted Harper,
that he was an excellent horseman and
roper. He had become a legend in
Presidio County, so I was eager to
photograph and to interview him. The
Harper Ranch is located in the rough,
desert-like part of south Presidio
County near Casa Piedra. The ranch
headquarters is situated on a hilltop
with a picturesque view of San Jacinto
Mountain in the near distance to the
northeast and Cienega Mountain to
the northwest. As I approached the
house, Ted Harper, a tall slender man
in his early 80s, came out to my truck to
meet me. Opening my door he extend-
ed his hand, and as we engaged in a
firm handshake, I noticed his large and
strong hands that told the story of his
life of hard work.
June Redford Van Cleef
will be signing her books at
the Way Out West Texas
Book Festival. Look for
her at the Front Street
Books table.
Third Quarter 2009
17