Ranching in Russia - Writer / Photographer · Ranching in Russia Text and Photography ... Kraig Sweeney of Lewistown, Montana, managed the Stevenson Angus Ranch for many ... I told
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41 April/May 2011 Ranching in Russia Text and Photography by Ryan T. Bell O ver the past winter, seven Montana cowboys traveled east with five saddle horses and 1,400 head of cattle to introduce American-style ranching to southwestern Russia. Montana writer and photographer Ryan T. Bell signed on for the adventure and, in the following pages, documents the winter-long effort to transform a former Soviet collective farm into a thriving cattle outfit run with a cowboy work ethic. The appearance of blue sky and sun was a rarity this past winter on Stevenson Sputnik Ranch, a cattle operation launched in southwestern Russia by Montana rancher Darrell Stevenson. The property sits on the 51 ST parallel; daylight hours are long in the summer and precious in the winter. The ranch’s 1,000-foot elevation contributes to a humid climate, marked by fog, overcast skies, continual winter snowfall and temperatures routinely around 20 below zero. The purpose in bringing Montana cowboys to work in Russia is to teach the ranch’s Russian crew to handle cattle in cold climates, and to introduce an American-style work ethic. The elements made for cold days in the saddle, though. One positive: a lack of wind – a welcome change for cowboys, horses and cattle hailing from Montana.
