Event: Black Hills Roundup Cattle Drive

Date: TBD 2012

Time: 2:00 PM

Location: Downtown Belle Fourche

Admission: FREE

It's real taste of the old west! In fact it's the way Belle Fourche used to be as one of the largest cattle drive hubs in the western United States. Now, the Black Hills Roundup recreates this tradition with a cattle drive through downtown Belle Fourche.

In the 1800's, before cattle trucks, and before railroads criss-crossed the west, the best way to get cattle from the ranch to the market was drive them with cowboys on horseback. Back in those days it was common for wranglers to move as many as 60,000 head to market, from Mexico to the major rail heads like Belle Fourche. In fact, Belle Fourche was the destination for John Wayne and his young buckaroos in the famous 1972 classic movie The Cowboys.

Today, we recreate that heritage during the opening day of the Roundup. We won't have thousands of head of cattle, but you will see upwards of three dozen longhorn moving through the streets of downtown Belle Fourche, herded by mounted cowboys and trailed by wagons, just like they used to!

Come early a stake out a good spot downtown for a scene you're not likely to see repeated too much anymore. We want to thank Gabby Bush from the Roundup Committee for organizing this event.