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coming up on today's Wild West we'll ride the trails of a California ranch founded in the 1860s we'll saddle up with the cowboy Lawyers Association oh God I love the cowboy lawyers take a trail ride down Colorado Boulevard for the Pasadena Rose Parade and meet some of the best American Indian artists in the country today's Wild West up next the Wild West it's still out there and we'll show you how to find it this is today's Wild West early morning at California's Rank and ranch and here come the horses quite a sight to watch them run as they're driven in from their overnight pasture it's a morning routine that's been repeated in one form or another ever since 186 fre when Walker Ranken founded this 31,000 acre Kettle Ranch here at the southern end of the SI Nevada mountains but this morning is not entirely routine inside the Corral something has the horses spooked turns out a straight calf that wandered into a nearby Barn has the horses all worked up it's out of the ordinary for them usually when they're in the Corral it's nice and quiet and calm not a whole lot going on so not today nope the boys as they're known soon settle down morning chores of brushing and saddling get underway Snoopy is's a character he's who's that Snoopy this one right here oh he's got a lot of Personality how so how do you mean he's uh well he's got a mind of his own for sure but he kind of lets you know when you get on him what he's thinking okay lots of work to get these horses ready for the day but for Tera rank it's a labor of love the horses always put you in a good mood when you see them coming in in the morning they make you happy terara is married to Jason Rankin Walker Rankin's great great grandson Walker was 22 when he left Pennsylvania to look for gold in California he found it too and he may have been searching for more when he came across this mountain Bowl known as Walker Basin named for an early Trapper linia Estelle lightner's family took a wagon trained from Missouri for the California Gold Rush her dad found gold too and also settled in Walker Basin in 1868 Walker Ranken married the girl next door and the couple started the family that's lived here ever since you look at that mountain right there and you realize that your great-grandfather he looked at that same mountain and your grandfather and your father and they all sweated blood right here but you have to also think about the other people that have worked on this Ranch and their part that has kept this mountain and and this Ranch alive like the recently retired Juan Romero who worked on the ranch for nearly 50 years and the stage line from Los Angeles came through this area because of the gold that was discovered over in Keysville the original Rank and home built in the 1870s and beautifully preserved is something like a family museum it's fascinating to see the old pictures the antique firearms and hear the old stories and linia cooked meals for The Travelers and occasionally they would stay over not not too often but occasionally they would the barn where the stage coach pulled in to change horses still stands a wagon wheel a reminder of the many Travelers who came through all those years ago and still do another beautiful day at Rank and Ranch huh always always a beautiful day at Rank and Ranch always Rank and ranch is celebrating 50 years of welcoming visitors after adding a Guest Ranch to to its cattle operation back in 1965 it was Bill's mother's idea and if I can graze cattle on it and I can get somebody to pay me to take them on a horseback ride across it I ought to come out people from all over the world are glad she did we should definitely come back next year we'll take you for a trail ride on Rank and ranch and show you what makes a visit here so special when we come back trail riding at Rank and Ranch it's a highlight of a stay at this historic working cattle and Guest Ranch but for many returning guests the unwinding begins before they even get out of the car and as we clear the corner and you see it and you see the Basin it feels like we're home we have a lot of our guests who will say that they feel like they're coming home to Grandma's house they're coming home that when they get to the top of the mountain here and they look out and see the valley there's just a sense of peace that piece won't be interrupted by cell phones which don't work at the ranch and it's enhanced by a warm and friendly atmosphere that welcomes guests as if they're part of the family and it makes you feel like you're just a long lost cousin that came for the weekend that's how I feel when Beth sers first started coming 10 years ago it' been a long time since she sat on a horse but it didn't take long to get comfortable my first day on the horses when I saw how healthy how well trained and behaved how good their sta Wrangler staff was they made sure you were safe yet you still had a good time and were challenged um yep I was bitten by the bug Walker wants to ride that one guest rides are actually a second career for the horses in the rank and Ranch string their younger years are spent as mounts for the Cowboys of this 31,000 acre working cattle ranch the mountainous terrain at the southern end of the Sierra is not the easiest country on horses but by the time there ready for the less strenuous life of the dude string the animals are well prepared and that makes some of the best guest horses cuz the cowboy horses have been everywhere they've seen everything they're not going to get scared at a bird flying out of a bush cuz they've seen that plenty while guests don't ever work the cattle they do get to see the Cowboys in action and ride the same Trails no ATVs on this place all the work has done horseback and that gives guests an appreciation for what it takes for both Horse and Rider to work this country plus the scenery is simply spectacular you just don't ride like this in uh in the UK so it's it's totally different way of riding and it's really it's really good I mean it's very therapeutic as well really therapeutic just like really beautiful isn't it we were sitting out outside our cabin earlier and it was just so beautiful I think probably they'll go away with a different opinion of the cattle business hopefully you know they might find that we're not such bad people after all don't don't try and trade me your husband for for your horse you know CU it didn't going to happen a relaxing horse bag visit to rank and Ranch can also be an educational one the ranking consider themselves ambassadors for the livestock industry and are happy to explain their sometimes misunderstood business to their largely Urban clientele I like talking to them and telling them what our side of the story is our side is not always told correctly just like the only Airline flight you ever hear about is the one that crashes bill says the only Rancher that ever makes the news is the 1% that gives the business a Bad Name some Rancher that's abusing things he's the one that gets written up and talked about the other 99% they never get talked about Bill Rankin says Kettle ranching is really grass farming you know the good Lord grows grass on these mountains every year and the grass G on these mountains is no different than a crop of wheat down in the valley to to a farmer and so we take a natural renewable resource of grass and we turn it into a nutrient Den food product even the youngest visitors for Rank and Ranch can get a Hands-On introduction to agriculture at the Children's petting zoo kids can bottle feed the sheep brush the donkey and meet Bill's granddaughter Josie and her beloved chicken Goldie it's okay it's okay and now you can go home with a tasty souvenir of your visit Rank and Ranch beef Amanda is spearheading a new effort to directly Market the beef raised here her brother raises hay and her sister has started a beekeeping business you have to let the younger generation do a thing or two you know you can't just sit on them till you die right the diversification is just part of the challenge of keeping this sixth generation family business thriving in an Ever Changing world you know this ranching deal it's kind of it's kind of like playing chess with three opponents you know you kind of have uh Mother Nature you have the Chicago meran Exchange and you have the US government now out of the three Mother Nature is the meanest of the bunch cuz she never tips her hand you know it depends on the day some days it does seem like a little bit of a daunting task cuz there's a lot that goes into running a ranch and obviously some days are more challenging than others no matter what you do but I think that it's it's something that we all Embrace and really appreciate the opportunity to be able to live on the ranch and raise our families on the ranch and keep things going so while it is daunting at times it's also very exciting at the prospect of being able to keep it going for another 150 years guests who come year after year to escape to this Timeless Refuge are counting on that you know I'm married but they can rest easy the entire Rank and family is Unified in their determined purpose to preserve this place and its precious way of life they so generously share with people from all over the world I can't think of a better thing to do in a person's life than to preserve this mountain and keep it like it was 150 years ago Cowboy lawyers forever they spend their week in the courtroom and weekends horseback up next Cowboy lawyers associ a we're going to ride right to the top of the park It's a beautiful morning here in Griffith Park a 4,000 acre Oasis of urban Wilderness in the Heart of Los Angeles with 55 Mi of horse trails are there any questions anybody have any question a group of riders you might not expect to find in the saddle are about to set out for a 2-hour ride these cowboys and cowgirls are actually judges and lawyers and members of the cowboy Lawyers Association Cowboy lawyers forever oh God I love the cowboy lawyers civil attorney dnell has been a member of the group for 16 years I haven't missed hardly a ride since then today's Trek will take about three dozen Riders up through LA's Hollywood Hills to mount Hollywood site of the world famous Hollywood Sign while you do have to be a judge or an attorney to join this group you don't have to be a great equestrian or even own a horse to participate in the rides we have a stock contract with a local uh stock contractor who provides horses today on our right for example he trailered down 23 horses for our Riders many members of the group do on their own horses like co-founder Jim Nichols here on his beautiful Buckskin Quarter Horse Montana I've seen horses go over the side and I had a horse fall off the trail one time with me it was highing up Cowboy Jim as the attorney is known got the idea for the group during a settlement conference with an LA Superior Court Judge back in 1989 and we're sitting there and we're talking about the case and I noticed under the glass top on his desk he had a picture of him in shaps on top of a mule so I said uh you know judge are you a riter and he says yes I am he says are you today there are more than 260 members of the cowboy lawyers a group that shares a love for horseback riding the American West and all that it stands for self-reliant friendly um cooperative and uh not relying on the government too much and I think it's very American I think it's very positive I think when you think of cowboys I mean how can you not like Cowboys I mean that's who we are surprising how many lawyers uh are fascinated by the West are fascinated by personalities uh of Western US History lawmen were of course a big part of the old west men like Marshall Wyatt her Judge Roy Bean and Wild Bill hickcock who served as both a Marshall and a sheriff fascinating stuff to talk about along the trail the only thing you're not allowed to discuss is work shop talk is forbidden besides a cowboy lawyer ride whether for a day or an entire weekend is all about getting away from work see the Greek Theater right there on the over the edge it's just the best thing to be able to come and be out in the wilderness and smell the horses and relax and the sun Cowboy lers is the best thing that's ever happened to me it's a great group of friends it's uh a lifetime of activity on horses with with people people that I like I can't think of anything better the cowboy Lawyers Association does about half a dozen rides a year including a couple of overnights like this beautiful fall weekend ride on the V6 Ranch well first of all we're blessed with just absolutely beautiful piece of property located 200 M north of La the V6 Ranch is 20,000 Acres of beautiful unspoiled Central California with a unique guest operation welcoming both horse owners and keeping us string of well-trained rental horses for everyone else from beginners to experts a big part of our business is groups just like cowboy lawyers here that uh bring their own horses and ride on a regular basis but want to have a chance to come and ride on the ranch here on the V6 and uh what we do here that most places can't do is we're also cattle operations so we can do all the things we normally do with cattle cattle work would come tomorrow this day would be spent on the trail soaking in the scen of This Magnificent Place everywhere you can see is a V6 huh that's correct no better antidote to a high stress job than saddling up with a group of friends who love to ride I love the people I love the horses scenery everything's beautiful lots of fun to hang out with these men and women and they'd love to have more members if you are a lawyer and you and you do want to ride horses and you want to have a lot of fun and you're fun to to be with you know give us a call and and join up because we'd love to have you but what if you're not a lawyer in Southern California well why not start your own crew there are people in every Walk of Life who love to ride and love the West you can start up the cowboy contractors cowgirl beauticians or the cowboy insurance agents it's all about getting together on Horseback in some nice country to enjoy a day of the western lifestyle or perhaps an entire weekend at the V6 Ranch it's 5:00 in the morning on New Year's Day we're at the staging area for the 2016 Rose Parade we'll show you all the preparations it takes to get these guys ready for the big event coming up on today's Wild West it's January 1st in Pasadena California as the fly over by the B2 stealth bomber kicks off the Rose Parade every year since 1890 pass Ina has celebrated the new year with this Grand parade down Colorado Boulevard and horses all kinds of horses have always been part of the celebration there's the US Marine Corps mounted Color Guard the spirit of the West Riders the Martinez family Medieval Times the Wells Fargo stage coach and the group I was privileged to ride with the Long Beach Mounted Police quite a thrill to take that long trail ride down Colorado Boulevard and it's quite a journey to get ready for this great event [Music] the day before the horses are getting all shined up for their big day at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center the center serves as home base for the outof town horse groups that ride in the parade equestrian units from all over the country apply to take part in this prestigious event and it's a great honor to be chosen it's an amazing privilege really amazing it's fascinating to learn about the equestrians taking part and this is a purebred Arabian she's from The Rush Creek Ranch Nebraska like the American endurance riding conference here for their very first Rose Parade it's kind of like I the equivalent of marathon running so instead of short distance we're racing over 50 miles sometimes [Music] 100 the noise crowds and floats in the parade would spook and terrify an ordinary horse so the animals have to be conditioned or bombproof to handle all the excitement we've been working on just exposing them to different variables uh different noises taking them out by the freeway and just working with them and and they've been trained to know that we're a teammate and so they'll look to us for security so when we're in the parade we'll be their best friend cuz we'll be telling them it's okay okay and they'll react to that many of the horse groups have been here before Tommy Harris is here for his third Rose Parade every year is a new year here a lot of fun well I've seen it a couple times on TV but never thought I'd actually be in it or specialist Reagan Ken is with the US Army's Fort Sil field artillery half section a US Army Hors drawn historical unit that appears in parades and ceremonies it's a pretty good gig in the Army I've always had a dream of working with horses in some kind of capacity for an actual job and now I'm living that dream Reagan's favorite breed is the Clydesdale and the horses of Budweiser Fame are getting their bath too you know it's maybe a little noisier and a little louder than some of the Prides but horses handle it real well this busy day of preparation does not end when the Sun goes down while the rest of the world celebrates New Year's Eve here you go daddy the equestrians are loading up their horses heading for the parade staging area here we go woohoo r spr a freeway transition Road near the parade route is blocked off and becomes a giant overnight parking lot for the trucks and trailers hauling the horses all supervised and organized by the hundreds of volunteers who make the parade happen easy to spot in their white suits on their Honda scooters wouldn't happen without you guys would it no it wouldn't but it's amazing how it comes together every year cuz everybody down here's got to have a driver yes that would be me every rider in the parade needs a personal volunteer as well to get their truck from the staging area to the the end of the parade route when I heard Rose Parade behind the scenes thought it'd be pretty phenomenal Riders have to be at the staging area by midnight where we'll try to catch a few hours sleep meantime not far away the Rose Parade floats are rolling out of the barns where they've been put together heading for their staging area pretty cool huh yeah absolutely we at a front row seat yes we do it's a great opportunity to get a close-up look at the beautiful roses seeds and other organic material used to create each and every fluid like this Western theme float from the great state of South Dakota featuring a buffalo horse and the famous faces of Mount Rushmore back on the freeway with the horses the clock strikes 4:00 a.m. and the Wells Fargo crew is putting the fingernail polish on the fine horses that will pull their three iconic stage coaches in this year's parade rod has been driving stage coaches for 37 years my grandfather broke uh driving horses for the coal mines in West Virginia and I grew up driving horses with him so that's how I got to driving for Wells Fargo parade is now just hours away and as the Riders start getting their horses ready the excitement is contagious and whoever would have thought here we are from Texas to California and now we're living the dream we're riding in the Rose bow parade how cool is that very excited very excited very excited couldn't sleep all night The Long Beach Mount of police are up and about and getting ready and even those who've done this for years are thrilled to be here once again how many people in the world get to ride in the Rose prey and that as soon as you turn that corner and go on Colorado it is it it brings tears to your eyes it's so awesome Riders get their horses warmed up as Dawn approaches and and at last it's [Music] time that trail ride down Colorado Boulevard is truly like no other a great thrill honor and privilege to be invited to ride with the Long Beach Mount of police and carry our cherished American flag living here in Southern California riding in the Rose Parade is something i' had always wanted to do and thanks to my friend Bob lorbeer I was invited to ride for Rose par with the Long Beach Mounted Police living that dream is an experience I will never forget and always remember every New Year's Day it's it's amazing incredible from handmade arrows to baskets jewelry blankets and so much [Music] more there's a fascinating story behind every artist at the 25th Annual American Indian arts Marketplace at the the atrey national Center in Los Angeles it's on brain tan smoke deer hiide inside and out and I even sign my name and thread I do all my own hunting and Tanning as well a member of the inck athabaskan tribe Glenda McKay lives in an Alaskan Village so remote they still have no running water and we would normally just keep our prize possessions in them um the women would use these sometimes the men would too they might even use it as a Tobacco Box traditional inck basket of seal fur deer hide and Tiny beads won the top prize at the show The Jackie otrey purchase award will become part of the arrey Museum's permanent collection very exciting Glenda is a multi-talented artist at her Booth you can see her intricately crafted Alaskan doll and unique jewelry check out these earrings made by splitting a fossilized walrus tooth I try to do everything traditional the way that it was done from what I was taught and like any of the Native artists here Glenda is happy to share her story a lot of people don't understand Alaska culture and being down here it's been very helpful in explaining things most artists we all are especially native art we're all trying to say something James fenhe transforms the skeletons of old SEO Cactus into Wood Sculptures that tell the story of his people that's on top of a mountain a piit your gra yeah in the res near my village San Pedro I start weaving when I was 17 years old it takes Reena beay about eight months to weave the colorful Navajo Rugs her tribe is so well known for Reena more comfortable speaking Navajo than English weaves the blankets at her home on the reservation With a Little Help from her son Leroy sometime I'm color blind s he has to help me which color goes with which color and stuff collaborative effort yes Leroy a talented silver smith creating bracelet rings in a striking buo tie of turquoise royon turquoise and then uh the same thing here and then this one is Mory nearby we meet another family of artists black feed kamanche jewelry designer Jane Myers and her daughter Ria who's here displaying her Ledger art we would traditionally do this art on HIDs but when we were put onto these reservations we didn't have access to these Heights so we turned to what the General Stores discarded and that would be these Ledger books the 20-year-old finds antique Ledger books to use as her canvas like this one dating back to 1896 telling her personal stories like her love of horses and her dreams of having a family each piece is done with my culture behind it what we would traditionally wear our outfits our designs on the Cradle boards here I create art because it's just it's it's something that I like to do and I've been beating ever since I was a child I've been Jane's dazzling Talent put puts a glittering spin on her cultural heritage like this beautiful miniature horse mask I made the original miniature horse mask for the kamanche national museum or this pendant shaped like a kamanche woman's dress from the Southern Plains that's the original form and then this is the inlaid form so it's dual-sided which is great the Jan's art has a deeper purpose as well one of my missions is to strengthen my community and by being a part of first people's fund that's one thing that we do we take artwork we do seminars you know we help other artists show them about marketing and you know how they can get out into the art World 40 tribes are represented among these talented artists their work is so prized by buyers and collectors some come from out of state Jan Hoffman is here from Santa Fe or the third year in a row because it's such a good show it's a show that blends ancient skills with modern technique tradition with creative new ideas it's always evolving it's made by traditional people perhaps but it's it's evolving to to the Contemporary world this annual Gathering of artists and their fans it's also something of a family reunion seeing friends yeah seeing friends meeting new friends and I enjoy the people here I like coming out to LA it's uh it's in the 40s and it snowed in Santa Fe so it's nice to this is like my last dose of Summer to come out here and be in the sunshine yeah it's great to have people say I like your stuff I want to buy it you know that's always good it happens every November in Los Angeles that's it for now we're back next time with more cool stuff from today's Wild West I'm Mark bador we'll see you down the trail for more information on the people and places featured in today's wild west or to order show DVDs and books visit today's wild west.com [Music] [Music] [Music]