Michigan Retiree Still Driving Cattle in Wyoming

“You can’t go on a lark; it’s a serious thing.”

For the last ten years, Shay Pendray has traveled from her home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan to the "A Bar A" ranch in Wyoming, with her horse Einstein. The A Bar A is a "dude ranch" and part of a group of real ranches, with 100,000 acres at 7500 feet in southern Wyoming where they run 6000 head of cattle. And every fall, they have to bring the cattle off the range. And Shay and Einstein help drive the cattle. From what I've seen on the A Bar A's website, the "actual fall roundup" isn't something they offer to regular guests.

So, you have to know what you're doing on a horse to do this job. But, Shay's been riding horses since she was 5. And that was 80 years ago.

That's not a typo. Shay's 85 years old.

According to USAToday, while they're on the A Bar A, Shay and Einstein get up every morning and herd cattle for 8 hours a day through sun, rain, sleet and snow. They operate on the sides of mountains and through streams and rivers, watching out for bears and mountain lions. Einstein is a 20-year-old bay quarterhorse. And while Shay doesn't seem worried about herself, she knows Einstein will probably only be able to do this for another 8 or 9 years.

When Shay is 94. I bet that'll happen.

Here's the story.