"I DON'T LIKE TO GET DOWN ON THE GROUND AND RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE LIKE CONTEST CALF ROPERS. I'M GETTING TOO BRITTLE AND LIKE TO STAY MOUNTED, SO I DALLY ROPE (THE ACT OF ROPING 600 POUND CORRIENTE STEERS WITHOUT TYING THE END OF THE ROPE TO THE SADDLE HORN). THE GATE SLAMS OPEN, THE STEER IS RUNNING AND YOUR HORSE HITS WIDE OPEN ON HIS SECOND STRIDE OUT OF THE BOX. EVERYTHING IS MOVING FAST AND WHEN YOU FIRST CATCH YOUR STEER YOU HALFWAY WISH YOU HADN'T; THE STEER IS HAULING ASS AND THAT HARD NYLON ROPE HEATS TO SEEMING INCANDESCENCE WHEN YOU RUN ABOUT 18 INCHES OF IT THROUGH YOUR HAND AS YOU START DOWN TO DALLY. I GUESS THERE'S MORE THAN A LITTLE LUNACY TO IT, RELYING ON WRAPPING YOUR ROPE AROUND THE SADDLE HORN TO STOP HEAVY RUNNING CATTLE."THOMAS McGUANE
"IN PURSUIT OF HORNED CATTLE" is a little different from the drawings I have done in the past in that it's the first one that depicts movement or motion. The photo that led to this drawing was taken at a local team roping where I was standing next to the heelers box as he blasted out in pursuit of that hard-running steer. There's a lot of action at that moment and that's what I tried to capture in the drawing.
DANIEL FRANKS
All negatives and plates used in the production process of this print have since been destroyed. There will be no further reproduction of the original drawing.
