Day 4 - The Long Miles

Wednesday

With one day to go, the guests are getting ready to hit the streets of Reno on Thursday to complete the 100 mile drive of the Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive, presented by Signature Landscapes.

CHICAGOAN CHOSEN AS NEW TRAIL BOSS
By Jennifer Durnan

Kim Mandekich, of Chicago, was elected the honorary trail boss on the Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive last night. Her 46 fellow apprentice cowboys chose her to lead today as they took over the herd of cattle and drove them unassisted across 20 miles. The working crew of cowboys and drovers were noticeably on vacation, ditching traditional cowboy garb in favor of Hawaiian shirts.

Mandekich works in human resources for Argonne National Laboratory. This is her first cattle drive. She and a friend planned the cattle drive as one of their yearly adventures. Last year they ran a triathlon. "I don't know what we will do next year," she said. "It will be hard to top this."

Mandekich received a pair of chinks as a gift for being chosen as the newest trail boss. She is the fifth woman ever to be named trail boss. As part of her responsibilities, Mandekich organized and lead the apprentice cowboys as they ventured on their first solo cattle drive.

"The best part of the trip is getting to see the land," she said. "We don¹t have scenery like this in Chicago."

WAGONS PROVIDE AUTHENTIC VIEW OF WESTERN PAST
By Jennifer Durnan

Often we take for granted how far transportation has come. We forget about the days when our ancestors crossed the country in a Conestoga wagon, defying death and disease to tame the wild west. This year the 15th Annual Reno Rodeo Cattle Drive has eight authentic wagons that are traveling with the 100 amateur cowboys and crew.

The wagons are driven by amazing draught horses and mules who pull the wagons with ease.

Janet Smith and her twin sister Julie Jepson are this years wagon masters. The pair, both from Utah, have been working with wagons since 1992.

"We bought our first wagon after going on a family trip and realizing that our kids loved to be on the wagon," said Janet. "We figured it would be a family adventure that everyone could enjoy together."

The wagons travel at about three and a half miles per hour. Janet and Julie have installed hydraulic brakes in all of their wagons as a modern safety precaution. They love bringing the wagons on trips like the Cattle Drive because it gives them a chance to teach people about the old west.

"We like to bring the wagons out so people get a concept of wagons and not just what they might have seen in old western movies," said Smith. "When you ride in a wagon you really get a feel for the terrain you¹re covering."

It takes a lot of preparation to get the wagons and horses trail ready. The twins spend a lot of time training and caring for the horses. "You have to learn how to communicate with the animal and how to react to their body language," said Smith. "We really educate the horses before bringing them out to an event like this. We emphasize safety."

On this year's cattle drive, Smith is driving what she calls the Cadillac of wagons, a fancy black buggy from Canada. The wagon, unlike some, has shocks that take the brunt of the bumps along the road.

Read on to discover what happened on the final day of the cattle drive!