It’s a pleasure to announce the winners of our annual Experience the Cowboy Trail Photo Contest! Our contestants submitted a variety of photos taken on or near the Cowboy Trail that captured the essence of Western life. Thank you to all who entered and who voted. And now: the winners:

Congratulations to Andrew Penner, who won the Judges Award Grand Prize for the photo “Cowboy Silhouette.” Andrew won a 3-Day Horse Adventure for 2 people at The Outpost at Warden Rock!

“Cowboy Silhouette” – by Andrew Penner

Congratulations to our 2nd place Judges Award winner, Bo-rum Hammond. Bo-rum’s prize for the entry “Western Spirit” is 2 Night’s Accommodation, Meals and Wagon Ride at Em-Te Town!

“Western Spirit” – by Bo-rum Hammond

Ron Smith’s photo “Cowboy standing on his horse” was a hit with our readers. Ron won the prize for the Voting Category Award: a Full Day Rafting Adventure for 2 people with Otter Rafting Adventures AND Stay & Play at Raven Meadows Golf (2 nights camping & 2 rounds of golf for 2 people).

“Cowboy standing on his horse” – by Ron Smith

Stay tuned for the launch of our 2015 Cowboy Photo Contest on May 1, 2015. Meanwhile, you can enter our 2014 Mountain Parks Photo Contest through March 31, 2015. To enter that contest, please click here. And while you’re there, be sure to vote for your favourite!

Also, note that if you you upload a high res copy (300 DPI) of your photo to the Mountain Parks Photo Contest, we will consider using it in our next issue.  Perhaps it will be our next cover shot! The maximum file size you can upload on the site is 2 Mb. If your image file is larger than that, please email hannah@cmipublishing.ca

We’d like to congratulate Haylie Guinn for winning our December Brand ID Contest. She correctly identified the brand below, which is from the Lazy H Ranch. This brand has been the property of 5 different large ranching outfits for more than a century.

As her prize, Haylie won a copy of the book Smoke from the Branding Fire by Hank Pallister. Read on to learn how you have one more opportunity to win this book for yourself.

January is the last month we’ll be offering a copy of Smoke from the Branding Fire, courtesy of Joyce Pallister-Bronsch, as a prize for our monthly trivia contest.  If you correctly identify the brand below, you’ll be entered into a draw for a copy of the book. We’re also offering a couple of clues below. Click here to enter.

Clue One: This historic brand was first issued in May of 1885 to a famous large black cowhand

Clue Two: When it was first issued, it was recorded as Four Walking Sticks, but the owner soon realized that four made this brand too large for the left rib position on most cattle, so he requested it be changed to Three Walking Sticks.

As you reflect on 2014, be sure to upload pictures you’ve taken capturing the Cowboy lifestyle to our annual Cowboy Trail Photo Contest. Our winners will receive some amazing prizes to enjoy in 2015. They include:

Judges Category: Grand Prize

A 3-Day Horse Adventure for 2 people at The Outpost at Warden Rock (valued at $1,800)

Judges Category: Second Place Prize

•2 Night’s Accommodation, Meals and Wagon Ride at Em-Te Town (valued at $300)

Voting Category

• A Full Day Rafting Adventure for 2 people with Otter Rafting Adventures (valued at $240) • Stay & Play at Raven Meadows Golf (2 nights camping & 2 rounds of golf for 2 people)

“Horses at Ya Ha Tinda Ranch” – contest entry by Hilke-Beuck

Click here to enter. Be sure to vote for your favorite photo, too!

Also, check out our December Brand ID Contest. It ends today as well. Best of luck!

“Cowboy Silhouette” – contest entry by Andrew Penner

You could win an amazing trip by simply entering our annual Cowboy Trail Photo Contest by December 31st. It could be the gift of a lifetime! To enter, simply click here to upload a photo of you and your friends enjoying an authentic western experience for a chance to win. There are three categories:

Judges Category Grand Prize

• A 3-Day Horse Adventure for 2 people at The Outpost at Warden Rock (valued at $1,800)

Judges Category Second Place Prize

• 2 Night’s Accommodation, Meals and Wagon Ride at Em-Te Town (valued at $300)

Voting Category

• A Full Day Rafting Adventure for 2 people with Otter Rafting Adventures (valued at $240)
• Stay & Play at Raven Meadows Golf (2 nights camping & 2 rounds of golf for 2 people)

Enter now and enter often! The prizes will create memories that last for a lifetime. If your picture gets more votes than any other picture, than you will win the voting category. However, no matter what amount of votes your picture gets, you still have the opportunity to be chosen by our judges for the two Judges Category awards.

Be sure to vote for your favorite picture, and encourage your family and friends to vote, too!

Contest Entry “A Horse’s Perspective” – by Pearl Kersey

Looking for a great book to read during your holiday vacation? You could win one by entering our December Brand ID Contest! As a prize, we’re offering a copy of Smoke from the Branding Fire, courtesy of Joyce Pallister-Bronsch. It was written by Hank Paillister, a former Coordinator of Brand Inspection for Alberta. He shared fascinating ranching history lore and chronicled memorable characters of Western Canada in this book.

To enter, click here to identify the brand below. We didn’t receive any correct answers for November’s Brand ID Contest, so we’re giving readers another chance to identify the brand below during December. Happy Trails!

Sunday marks the end of our November Brand ID Contest! To enter, simply click here to submit the name of the ranch that the brand below belongs to. Here is a hint for this month’s brand:

This brand has been the property of 5 different large ranching outfits for more than a century.

If you answer correctly, you’ll be entered into a draw for a fascinating read “Smoke from the Branding Fire.” It’s full of insight about cowboy life in the Canadian west that author Hank Pallister gleaned from old-time cowmen and from his experiences as Coordinator of Brand Inspection for Alberta.

Congratulations to the winner of our October Brand ID Contest! Phyllis Peters correctly identified the brand below as belonging to the TL Ranch near High River, Alberta. That ranch takes its name from the man (Tom Lynch) who started it in 1887. We’ll be sending Phyllis a copy of Smoke from the Branding Fire for a prize. It’s even autographed by the co-author Joyce Pallister-Bronsch.

Our November Brand ID Contest is now underway. Can you identify the brand below? Click here to enter!

Only four days until the end of the work week AND the end of our October Brand ID Contest. Enter today to win a copy of the book Smoke from the Branding Fire, autographed by the co-author Joyce Pallister-Bronsch. Entering is simple – just identify the brand below. If you correctly name the ranch that the brand belongs to, then you’ll be entered into a drawing for the prize!

Click here to enter.

Rob Lennard, also known as The History Wrangler throughout Alberta, has been a huge supporter of our Experience the Cowboy Trail & Kananaskis Country over the past 2 years. Now he’s offered to help us promote it!

Here’s a recent picture. If you spot Rob, have The History Wrangler play a few bars of one of his favorite country songs.

Upload a selfie with The History Wrangler for a chance to win a $200 gift certificate for a Heli Tour in Kananaskis, an autographed copy of one of Rob’s award-winning books, and an Experience the Cowboy Trail golf shirt!

Wouldn’t they make great stocking stuffers! Just be sure to “tag” Rob Lennard.

Rob was in Turner Valley on Tuesday. Look for him in Cochrane today!

Our annual Reader Photo Contest is well underway, and we want to share an update with you from our Early Bird winner. Carl Cedar had the most votes by August 31 for his picture “On the Ranch.” He won a gift certificate for a NEW pair of cowboy boots courtesy of Alberta Boot, Calgary ($300). He’s chosen his boots and has been enjoying them! He sent us the pictures below and wrote, “I got the boots last week…I love them and thank you very much for a fun contest.”

The Early Bird contest has ended, but you still have the opportunity to win one of these terrific prizes:

• Judges Category: Grand Prize
  A 3-Day Horse Adventure for 2 people at The Outpost at Warden Rock (valued at $1,800)
• Judges Category: Second Place Prize
  2 Night’s Accommodation, Meals and Wagon Ride at Em-Te Town (valued at $300)
• Voting Category
  A Full Day Rafting Adventure for 2 people with Otter Rafting Adventures (valued at $240) • Stay & Play at Raven Meadows Golf (2 nights camping & 2 rounds of golf for 2 people)

Contest ends December 31, 2014. Make sure to vote for your favourite photo! (Your votes will determine the winner of the Rafting Adventure!)