It was a few years after the War Between the States and cattle ranching was a big business. The sun hung low in the vast Texas sky, casting long shadows across the rugged landscape as The Outfit, a group of seasoned cowboys, prepared for their next adventure. Heading up the group was E. R. (Ed) Lyons, the Trail Boss, a weathered and experienced leader and rider with a keen eye for the open range and the perils along the way. Ed had fought in the war and had also served as a Texas Ranger. Ed's son William H. [Herff] Lyons wanted to be a cowboy and ride along with The Outfit, but he was still too young and his momma put her foot down! About 20 years later, at the age of 31, Herff would prove his merit by winning a roping contest in a local rodeo in Pleasanton, Texas. Herff’s son Leslie T. Lyons (my grandfather) and his grandson William H. (Bill) Lyons (my father), and finally me – Leslie (yep, named after my grandfather) would carry on these cowboy traditions … long after cattle drives had ended and the Chisholm trail was only a fond memory.
Word had spread throughout Texas and the surrounding countryside that The Outfit was gearing up for another long, arduous cattle drive along the famed Chisholm Trail. Cowboys from all across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and other parts thereabouts rode in to San Antonio, looking to hire on with Ed. They gathered around campfires and in local saloons, each with their own stories etched on their faces, ready to face the challenges of the untamed frontier.
Ed spent time a little time with each of them interviewing the ones he’d never worked with, looking to round up a gang of cowboys with the requisite skills to fill his various positions on the cattle drive:
A Wrangler: in charge of the Remuda (the herd of extra, saddle-broke horses)
The Drovers: cowboys who surround the herd and keep it moving!
Point Riders to ride up front, pick the best paths and guide the herd along the trail
Swing Riders who ride alongside the herd to turn it in the right direction
Flank Riders to ride along the sides of the herd to keep it from spreading out
Drag Riders who ride at the rear of the herd to keep it moving
And most important of all … Cookie, Ed’s cook who drove the chuckwagon, pitched camp, prepared three hot meals a day for the cowboys and served The Outfit as its banker, barber, doctor, dentist, and any other job that needed filling on the trail. Cookie had been with Ed on many a ride and was an invaluable asset. He was second only to the Trail Boss, and everyone knew it.
This wasn’t Ed's first rodeo as they say. He had ridden the Chisholm Trail before and understood its perils and pleasures. He was a world class cowboy, excellent rider and a hardened leader. The years following the cattle drive he spent raising his son Herff in Pleasanton, Texas and taught him the cowboy ways. Herff learned his lessons well and on October 30, 1900, he won first prize in the local rodeo roping contest. His was rewarded with a beautifully engraved solid silver pocket flask for carrying “libations” in his back pocket. His name, date, and other information was engraved on the front; on the reverse was a beautifully engraved outline of a horse head with a flowing mane.
As the sun rose on the appointed day, the sounds of dusty clopping cattle hooves and mooing of the herd mixed with the jingling spurs of The Outfit’s cowboys could be heard as they prepared to set out on the Chisholm Trail. The air was filled with the scent of leather, the smell of fresh gunpowder, and the promise of adventure.
All the cattle carried The Outfit’s brand: KAA70. The brand was designed by Ed and was the shortened version of “Kicking Ass After 70” – the moniker Lyons had picked up after he turned 70. One of the cowboys was heard to have said, “Man, that Lyons is over 70 and he’s still kicking ass!” The group roared with laughter, and the moniker stuck.
As it turned out, Ed liked that so much he made it the official name of The Outfit, working with a San Antonio seamstress at the local mercantile store to create a logo and brand to use when branding cattle & possessions such as saddles, scabbards and such. He got the seamstress to make up a bunch of custom-crafted western shirts with the Kicking Ass logo above the pocket as a surprise for his cowboys in The Outfit … you had to go on the cattle drive to get one! The shirts were stored in saddle bags and saved for special occasions to be worn with pride … you couldn’t buy one of these at the local mercantile in town … you earned one when you hired on with The Outfit and went on the cattle drive.
Days turned into weeks, and the landscape shifted from the flat expanses of Texas to rolling hills and distant mountains and the air got cooler. The Outfit faced numerous challenges on the trail – big rivers to ford, sudden thunderstorms that tested their mettle, encounters with cattle rustlers eager to claim a piece of the herd, and even the occasional hungry coyote or wolf that stopped by looking for a meal.
Each cowboy was outfitted with a Henry Repeating Rifle chambered in .45 Long Colt and a Taylor’s & Company Model 1873 Old Randall Six Shooter in the same caliber. Both were used to “dispatch” 4-legged and 2-legged predators that showed up. (What happens on the trail, stays on the trail!) Life was hard but exciting.
The Outfit pressed on, navigating the twists and turns of the Chisholm Trail like the precision steps of a well-practiced dance. Campfires flickered in the darkness, and stories were exchanged under the starlit sky, creating a bond stronger than the leather girths that held their saddles in place.
As the drive continued, The Outfit encountered diverse characters and landscapes – from sleepy frontier towns to vast prairies where the buffalo still roamed. Each day brought new pains, challenges and opportunities; everyone was dog-tired at the day’s end, but this just strengthened the camaraderie among the cowboys. They came to understand why they were called “The Outfit.” They helped each other and even though there was the occasional quarrel (usually liquor was involved!), they stuck together if another group attacked them.
Finally, after weeks of relentless travel, The Outfit arrived at the bustling cattle auction in Abilene, Kansas. The dusty town buzzed with activity as cowboys from various ranches gathered to trade, barter, and auction off their hard-earned herds. They found the local saloons, had some fun and got into trouble at times.
Amidst the chaos, Ed negotiated deals with buyers, ensuring that The Outfit's efforts were adequately rewarded. Our western legends were born from the sound of hooves, the scent of cattle, and the distant echoes of harmonicas playing haunting tunes in the night.
As the last heads of cattle were moved into the corrals of their new owners, The Outfit gathered for a final moment of reflection. The Chisholm Trail had tested their resolve, but it had also forged an unbreakable bond among the cowboys. With a nod and a tip of the hat, The Outfit rode off into the sunset, leaving the dusty Kansas town behind and heading back to God’s country … Texas!
The legend of The Outfit and their epic cattle drives along the Chisholm Trail would be told around campfires for years to come, a testament to the spirit of the untamed West and the indomitable will of those who dared to live the cowboy way.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little of our history and adventures. Ed has long since gone to the great corral in the sky, but his legend was carried on by his son Herff, then his grandson Leslie, then his great grandson Bill, and finally his great-great grandson Leslie (that’s me). Although I’m not leading a real cattle drive like my great-great grandfather, just like Ed my focus is on helping folks. I’ve carried on the “Kicking Ass After 70” tradition by helping those who have passed – or soon will pass the 50 mark, getting up there in age, have aches & pains, bad joints and unhealthy tickers, find their way into The Outfit and ride along on a different type of drive – a trail ride to improve their lives through knowledge, encouragement, fortitude, and a focus on three key areas for a long, healthy and happy life: Spirit, Mind and Body. These three are intertwined … you can’t truly have a healthy and happy longevity unless you focus on maximizing all three areas.
The Outfit is devoted to providing them – and you – with solid information you can use to improve your life in all three areas. If you put these into practice, I can guar-un-tee you WILL get better. It will take some time – after all, you didn’t “get broke” in a few days, or even a few weeks or months! It took you years to get yourself into this fix. So it’s goin’ to “take some doin’” to get you back into “Kicking Ass” shape! But think about this … what do you have to lose? Seriously! There IS no “downside” to this trail ride … only the upside possibility (I call it probability) that you WILL get better, IF you are willing to do what it takes!
Give it some thought, tell others about The Outfit and how to find us, push through the corral gate, come inside, look around (there’s no cost … everything here is totally free) and see what you think. I fixed myself in 16 months, and I’ve seen many, many other fix themselves as well. God gave us bodies that work – IF we take care of them properly – and they will repair themselves for the most part – IF we give them the right things. After all, a carpenter is only as good as his tools. If you use crappy tools, you’ll end up with a crappy house! Same’s true with your body.
As I’m riding this trail as the Trail Boss, I hope to see you ride up alongside me and say, “Howdy!” We can have some fun and certainly swap some stories!
I tip my hat and look forward to ridin’ with you on this adventure …
Grace & Peace be with you.
Yours in faith,
Les
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