Cattle crossing a Grant County Highway Photo by Carla DeMarco At least one brand now in Grant County carries the cachet of legend. Comprising the northernmost ten counties of the Texas panhandle, or somewhere around three million acres, the ranch was enclosed by 1,500 miles of fence. A cattle brand protects a marketable product and should not be mistaken for a family crest or coat of arms. To be sure, considerable pride and sentiment may attach to an old brand. But talk to a few ranchers and you'll begin thinking of a brand as a business logo or trademark rather than a shield to die on.
Ranchers tend to be businessmen first, knights second.
And yet romance permeates the humble cattle brand, as it does the West itself. You have to root for a family that puts their in their brand.