"Opening this book is like finding a vintage Garcia spade bit under the floorboards of the old barn.  Kingdon delivers a rare gift; a glimpse into the real lives of 'big outfit cowboys'.  These tough men and women devote their long days to the pursuit of great horses, cattle, dogs, country, gear and honing their skills while protecting the Cowboy Way work ethic.  As the author's true tales unfold, the connecting thread is freedom...the unbridled freedom one can only find in this amazing, yet sometimes painful, hidden world.  Respect, dignity and God are other recurring elements, especially evident in the wonderfully poignant Circle S cow story.  But the real butter on the biscuit lies in Kindgon's insightful quotes sprinkled generously among the pages, borne of deep reflection on his own challenging journey and solidified during countless silent hours trotting a long circle back to camp.  Kingdon and his peers achieve a special level of connectivity with themselves, the critters and the land, and this book does a splendid job of saddling a spare horse for the reader so they, too, can come along for at least part of the ride."

 

 

Tim O'Byrne

Publisher/Editor

WORKING RANCH magazine

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“Working as a big-outfit cowboy on the vast Northern Range, Miles Kingdon experienced things most people can’t even imagine like gathering wily cattle on rough, remote ranches, spending time alone in the quiet of cow camp, encountering bears and predators face-to-face, riding through blizzards and deep snow, and walking away from a myriad of wrecks. He shares short vignettes from his cowboying days in this special little volume full hair-raising excitement, a bit of humility and insightfulness, and plenty of good old cowboy humor. As ranching evolves through time, Kingdon’s authentic stories become timeless tales that document and preserve an era where deals were sealed with a handshake, reputations were earned with hard work and integrity, and a cowboy relied most on his instincts and his partnership with his horse and dog. Throughout the book readers not only come to respect Kingdon as a hard-core cowboy who gets the job done, but also as a skilled horseman who honors the horses from which he’s learned.”

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Jennifer Denison, Senior Editor, WESTERN HORSEMAN magazine

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