Recognizing Marlene Wilson –Working Cowboy

2021 BC Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductee | Courtesy of the Museum of the Cariboo-Chilcotin (Saddle Up was asked to give {belated} added recognition as it is not often a woman wins in this category)

Marlene Dora Wilson was born December 8, 1945 on the Wilson/Moore ranch just outside of Heffley Creek, to parents Margaret Isabel Moore Wilson and Benjamin Adelbert Wilson. Both parents were avid horsemen and ranchers, and inspired Marlene to become a cowgirl.

Marlene’s father passed away when she was only 5 years old, however her mother went on to teach Marlene about horses, how to understand them, love them, ride them, and how to be the cowgirl she is today. Marlene alongside her sister Rebecca Olive Wilson were raised on ranches around Kamloops, Heffley Creek, Knutsford, Campbell Range, and later at Falkland BC. She spent her teen years working on her mother’s ranch the Circle X in Falkland until her mother passed away in 2001 and the ranch was sold. Marlene has continued the Circle X brand today. Later in life Marlene married, and while raising three children, she continued to work cattle with her husband Jack Graham.

Marlene has spent her life working cattle, horses and training cowdogs. Over the years Marlene has worked on ranches from Anahim Lake to Osoyoos, and also Alberta. However she enjoys riding the jack pine country of central British Columbia the most. Back in 1996 Marlene started her own contracting business called Cow Cents Contracting. Here she utilizes her own living quarters horse trailer, three horses and stock dogs to travel through the province helping various ranches with cowboying. Now at age 74, Marlene does seasonal work which includes calving out, turn out, riding range throughout the spring, summer and fall months; including doctoring animals as needed, repairing fence, and clearing fallen trees from trails. Despite the cold wet days or the scorching summer days outdoors, Marlene says she loves this way of life and would not change it for the world.

Marlene focuses on applying low-stress cattle handling to all the work she does. While she has had many amazing seasons cowboying, just like many others in 2017, she experienced the 2017 Wildfires of British Columbia. It was dangerous work, as the fires were consistently starting up or changing unexpectedly. She found herself in several close calls while trying to move cattle or get cattle off range and to safety, while she rode with a bandana covering her face to provide some protection from the smoke.

She also devotes time to raising and training Border Collies to sell for working stock, to be productive and beneficial in working cattle on other ranches. Aside from cowboying on ranches, raising and training horses and dogs, barrel racing has also been a large part of Marlene’s life. When younger, she chased the BC Barrel Racing circuit doing well winning tack, buckles and trophies. Later, she followed the Team Penning circuit for a few years, from chasing cows on range to chasing cows in the arena.

In the off seasons Marlene picks up job placements pen checking in feedlots. Some years you can find her packed up in her horse trailer, alongside horses and dogs, travelling to Arizona for the winter where she can continue to work and train her horses and dogs.

Marlene says the love of her craft for cowboying is in her blood and it is what she lives for. She is proud to be from a long line of ranchers and cowboys. She hopes to be living the good life and cowboying until she is 80 years old.