I was recently invited by a friend from high school, to take photos of the yearly calf branding just outside of Boulder. The cattle inhabit the Boulder Open Space, where the traditions of the rancher are still practiced by a select few families.The Shanahan ridge marks the south side of town where the Shanahan family and their cattle reside. Krystyna Shanahan, asked me to come out and give a hand for this years branding.
I gotta be honest, I didn't get dirty. Actually, I did. But I didn't wrestle any calves. Unfortunately, I had to go to work afterwards. But I really wanted to. My boss wasn't too pleased when I showed up to work covered in shit. The framing shop was tracked by the end of the day. Delicate artwork and poo don't mix. Well, it is what it is, and it was worth it. I got the shots that I wanted.
The idea of the branding is a controversial one for many people. And that's why I jumped on the chance to document it. Since posting some of the images on Facebook, I have received comments calling the whole process sickening and comparing it to Hitlers regime. I agree, it does appear to be cruel at first sight. The cattle are released into a pen 10 at a time, teams of two wrestle down one cattle. Then another team comes through to give the calf shots, de-horn, castrate, and brand it. Sounds brutal, but I think the calves get the better of the humans by the end of it. People get kicked, rammed, and tossed. It was somewhat reminiscent of watching Wrestlemania as a kid.
Do you like hamburgers? How about a steak? For you to enjoy that sultry steak, there are things that need to be done to get it on your plate. One thing that bothers me as an American, is that the people are willing eat meat to their hearts desire, but they aren't willing to accept the unsightliness associated with the process. This can be applied to many royalties that we as American's enjoy. How about your clothing for instance? Don't even get me started on that one.
If you were a cow where would you rather reside? In the feed lots of Greeley with 500,000 of your closest buddies. Or in lush pastures where the daisies tickle your hooves and the definitive Flatirons loom above. "I'll take Boulder for $2000, Alex." Actually, that doesn't seem half bad to me. All I have to do is get wrestled and branded and I get to live in Boulder hassle and monetarily free? Sign me up!
