Bucking
at Camp
This colorful calendar print depicts a cowboy
having a little trouble with his mount at the roundup camp.
It looks as though he picked one from the "rough string."
The artist used this motif in a number of his early calendar
and commercial art paintings. At least two calendar prints were
made, one titled "Bucking at Camp," and the other
titled "Morning Breakdown.".
From the Calendar: Morning Breakdown: The life of a cowboy in
the days of the colorful Old West was a combination of hard
work and excitement. His day began at the break of dawn when
familiar objects were only silhouettes against the horizon.
But the life was exciting and competitive. There was keen competition
amongst the cowboys as to who was the top rider. The cowboy
that could stay atop the roughest broncs the longest won the
top honor and became known as the rider of the "rough string."
This was an honor highly regarded and envied by all. And as
a reward for his ability, he was given, as his string of horses,
the roughest, buckingest broncs in the herd. The "rough
string rider" earned his honor. Every morning prior to
range duty he would select one of these spirited broncs and
break it down before it could be used effectively on the range.
This was an honor in the days of the Old West.
Sizes I have found:
12 x 16 inches
18 x 25 1/2 inches
From a 1954 painting titled: The Rough String Rider
Oil on canvas, 28 x 38 inches.
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