The Working Cowboy of Today

Today's working cowboy bears little resemblance to the rodeo or movie cowboy. He dresses more simply, rarely carries a gun, and leads a life no more exciting than that of any other agricultural worker. He may use a horse, but is just as likely to do his work from a jeep or pickup truck. Some use is still made of roping and of the cutting horse, trained to cut out a steer from the herd. On the larger ranches cattle are still rounded up and the calves are still branded.

National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, contains a collection of notable Western art, a museum of the Old West, and three halls of fame—one for rodeo performers, another for stars of Western films and television shows, and one for individuals who have made a significant contribution to the region.