A Sure Sign of Spring Round Grove Ranch Sheep Head Home
 | Author:
MT 43 News Staff Reporter
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
A Sure Sign of Spring Round Grove Ranch Sheep Head Home
MT 43 News Staff Reporter
Spring in Broadwater County is always heralded by Round Grove Ranch sheep coming home from winter pasture to be shorn of wool and give birth to lambs. This year’s event took place on March 14.
Crossing the railroad tracks on River Road and then the Missouri River bridge is fraught with danger and involves many people and lots of coordination. Kelly Ingalls, one of the ranch owners, first arranges with BNSF Railroad to halt train traffic for an appointed time. He also coordinates with the sheriff’s office to stop vehicular traffic on both ends of the bridge for the five minutes or so that it takes to herd a band of sheep across the bridge. All moving parts must come together.
This time, as usual, it went well. Kelly, his wife Kay, their son Louis, a herder who hails from Peru, and a half dozen or so well-trained dogs got it done like clockwork.
It is a special sight to see the dogs work as a team as they gently move the sheep without letting them linger, or stray. Very quietly the sheep move, their hooves clicking on the concrete bridge deck. The dogs are quiet, but they listen intently, ears up, for the shepherd’s command. He gives a shout. The lead dog, Chavo, turns onto Mill Road. The crew heaves a sigh of relief as the task is finished. Cars and trucks pick up speed across the bridge. A tense moment has passed.
And it will happen again, this time in reverse order, in the fall when the sheep are herded back to winter pasture near Lone Mountain after a summer of growth on the Round Grove home ground on the east side of Canyon Ferry Reservoir.
The Round Grove Ranch, headed by Kelly and his brother John, has run sheep and cattle for generations. Kelly’s and Kay’s two adult children Louis and Ellie are fourth generation.
Article Images
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PhotoCredit: Nancy Marks, MT43 News photographer
Image 1 Caption: Lead dog, Chavo, a Kangal, a special breed for herding sheep, leads the way across the bridge.
Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer
Image 2 Caption: Vehicles from Helena wait in line as the band of sheep cross the Missouri River bridge.
Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer
