Bent-Prowers Cattle and Horse Growers Association

Latest News:

The Bent-Prowers Cattle & Horse Growers' 141st Annual Meeting was held on Saturday, March 20, for more information on the banquet and meeting please click here.

Association History:

The first meeting of cattlemen for the purpose of forming an association to protect the interests of the cattle business was held at Las Animas (Old Town) in March 1870. Nearly all that were engaged in cattle raising in Bent County attended the meeting. Not much was done at this time but to elect officers.

In April 1871, the cattlemen of Bent County again met at Las Animas. A Preamble-Constitution and Bylaws were submitted and adopted. It seemed to be too soon for such an organization and it was allowed to expire for lack of interest.

In February 1874, another meeting of cattlemen was called for the purpose of organization. At this time, “Mavericking” and stealing cattle was indulged in to a very great extent. Some of the largest cattle raisers recommended a vigilance committee and a trial by cattlemen, with the penalty for stealing cattle to be death. The meeting was held in a bedroom over Prowers T. Hough’s store at West Las Animas. Cattle raisers were present from New Mexico and from the Dry Cimarron, from Las Animas County and from Kansas. There was a great deal of discussion about what was best to be done to drive out of the country some of the bad characters and break up the cattle stealing. However, after holding nightly meetings for nearly a week it was decided not to resort to any extra-ordinary measures but to try and punish offenders by legal means. A cash reward system was developed to encourage reporting and punishment of offenders and that system remains in place today.

Over the next fifteen years this association dealt with cattle rustling, brand inspection, organizing Spring Roundup, quarantine laws, and trespassing laws to deal with Texan Cattlemen stomping out pasture on their cattle drives.

It was written within the minutes in 1884 that this Association represented many millions of dollars of capital in hundreds of thousands of head of cattle.

In 1902, the Bent Stock Growers Association changed their name to the Bent Prowers Cattle and Horse Growers Association. Though only two counties are mentioned, the Association takes in Bent, Prowers, Baca, Otero, and Kiowa Counties.

Bent-Prowers Cattle and Horse Growers, the oldest and largest affiliate in the Colorado Cattlemen‘s Association, is still actively representing the interest of the cattleman. However, issues of today are much different than the problems that drew ranchers together a century ago. An important issue affecting many in this area is the proposed listing of the prairie dog, mountain plover, and prairie chicken on the Endangered Species List. Bent-Prowers has continually promoted policy to ensure that sound scientific research and factual information is used before a species can be classified as “threatened or endangered.” In addition, they strive to ensure that the economic impacts of the restrictions placed upon private property owners providing habitat for protected species, be compensated in a fair manner without causing any negative consequences to adjoining private property owners.

One of the important changes of time is the steady decline of rural representation in our Nation’s and State’s Legislative branches. To compensate for the lack of direct knowledge of rural issues, most legislators have learned to trust the positions and opinions of rural grassroots organizations such as the Bent-Prowers Cattle and Horse Growers and the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association.

Bent-Prowers has been active in Beef Promotion, promoting new, heat and eat beef entrees at the ABCDEFGH Show held annually in Lamar. “This farm show gives us the opportunity to talk about issues of concern with area ranchers while promoting delicious and convenient beef products. We devote a couple of days to the show, but it’s worth the time spent to get to inform the public about our organization. Thanks to the beef, we are one of the most popular booths at the show.” states Kerry Hartshorn, past President of the Bent-Prowers Cattle and Horse Growers.

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