Working Ranch Magazine - Index

Working Ranch Magazine - magazine - Index

annually to help stimulate growth
and for weed control. The drought the
last couple of years left little to burn,
which they remedy through spraying.
“We’re strong advocates for weed
spraying. We try to weed spray at least a
third to a half of the ranch every year,”
Tim says. “This year we weed sprayed
most all of it with the exception of a
few pieces because of the drought situation
that we just came out of, we felt
like it was going to be a strong year for
weeds. It sure paid dividends this year.
We’ve grown a lot of grass. In fact most
places you can’t even tell that they’ve
been stocked.”
Tim says stocking rates can vary, with
many area cattlemen practicing double
stocking where cattle are pushed
through an early intensive grazing season
of about 90 to 100 days.
HORSES ON THE PAYROLL
The Drummond family has enjoyed
a long, successful history with their
equine partners. Purchasing cattle with
less sickness has required less time in
the saddle in recent years, but horses
still play a vital role in the daily operation
of Drummond Land & Cattle Co.
“You are not out there beating up
your employees or your horses,” Tim
says. “You aren’t spending the man
hours on them. You’re
buying better cattle that
you are not having to
doctor as much. All of it
compounds. And you
think gosh, this horse is
4… I’m about to get him
now and you look down
and he’s 5. He ought to be
going back towards retirement
at 9 or 10.”
The Drummonds have had much
success with their cutting horse program.
The foundation of their horses
begins by training in the vast cattle
range near Pawhuska.
“There’s nothing better than riding
a good horse,” Tim says, “and nothing
makes you more frustrated than riding
a dink. We’re fortunate. We’ve got
some very good horse flesh.”
The Drummond’s stud Lizzys Gotta
Player stands to the public at
Weatherford, Texas, and has National
Cutting Horse Association lifetime
earnings of more than $100,000. The
Drummonds market about 30 year-
54 |WORKING RANCH | JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2008
A typical cattle work at the Drummond Ranch generally involves gathering at daybreak and trailing
the pairs to a working facility where they are vaccinated, branded, or given whatever other
procedure necessary. They also get sprayed for insect control before returning to pasture.
lings annually, with a goal of about
half to two thirds of them getting finished
and trained, which Tim says
they usually beat.
The family capitalizes off good horses
and the sheer number of cattle they
run through their cutting horse facility
near the winter wheat ground.
The Drummonds have had much
success with their cutting horse
program. The foundation of their
horses begins by training in the
vast cattle range near Pawhuska.
While the Drummond horses shine in
the cutting arena, they still have a job
to do on the ranch. And the cowboys
take advantage of the quality horses
and show off some of their abilities in
the local ranch rodeos. Drummond
horses have come home with the top
horse title at many ranch rodeos,
including what’s considered the state’s
championship sponsored by the
Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association.
The horses have good partners, Tim
says, noting the talent of their crew. The
ranch rodeo team is made up of the
brothers and longtime Drummond
employees Tim Kill and Josh Sellers
along with Lynn Thompson. The
Drummond team has taken bragging
rights in Oklahoma the last two years by
winning the state’s top event, qualifying
them for the Working Ranch Cowboys
Association National Championship in
Amarillo, Texas.
However, it’s only a matter of time
before the next generation
of Drummonds takes over
the ranch competition.
Tim says, “My son told
me, ‘You know dad, I think
I’m ready to rope that cow.’
I told him, ‘You know
son, you can’t rope that
cow until you can mug
that cow.’
He says, ‘She’s too big to
mug.’
I said, ‘Exactly.’”
It’s a mindset that Tim and Ladd are
passing on to their kids. You’ve got to
have determination and still be
grounded to make a go at an industry
that isn’t for the weak of heart.
“They are excited about it. They
have a big time going and watching
and are ready to jump in and help
out,” Tim adds, noting they help out
on gatherings and workings throughout
the year. “They are ready for their
turn. I told Ladd we have about five or
six more years, and then we can turn
it over to them.”