The cowboys who rode with Bert Sheppard knew he was a top hand. He started his own colts, developed solid, finished stock horses, and raised top quality cattle. Bert Sheppard grew up in a time when there were still a lot of old time cowboys around who could remember the huge trail drives north across the border with longhorn cattle numbering in the thousands in the days before the wire.
Bert bought his first herd of Herefords in 1924 and ten years later he bought the Riverbend Ranch near Longview, Alberta. He formed a partnership with R.M Patterson of the Buffalo Head Ranch and the Bews Brothers of the Y Cross and together they bought the well - known TL ranch, started by another legendary Trail Blazer, Tom Lynch
In the early 1930’s Bert discovered an old log cabin hidden in a valley not far form the Lynch Trail. The cabin was littered with empty 44 shells, some old boots and an old yellow Fish riding slicker. Not far away were the graves of two unknown cattle rustlers who used the place as a hideout.
Bert took on the job as manager of the OH Ranch and seven years later he sold his TL holdings to become a full partner in the OH.
Bert’s roping skill was known far and wide. At one branding his calf-heeling rate was 3 calves a minute. Following his retirement he wrote several books about ranching and they’re still sought by collectors.
He continued to ride his favourite horse Snoopy even though Bert was legally blind by the 1980’s. Bert Sheppard rode across the great divide in 1999, standing as giant among he great cattlemen of the west.
