Tom Jones & His Belgian Mare
by Mary Belle JonesIn every sense of the word, Tom Jones is a real COWBOY. He has always wanted a wagon and a team of mules. He settled for a wagon and a Belgian mare named "Belle". (The mare's name was Belle when he bought her - she is not named for Tom's mother).
Tom is a big man six foot, four inches tall and 220 pounds. He usually rides a big horse. He doesn't ride Belle much because he says she is as slow as a hobbled duck but that she can pull anything.
Cole Armstrong has a ranch north of Pecos. He wanted to get all the cattle off the ranch. The cattle, except the very wild ones, had been gathered and trucked off. Mr. Armstrong hired a helicopter at $235 an hour and seven cowboys to gather the wild cattle. They worked two long days gathering only eight head.
Mr. Armstrong contracted with Tom Jones, Shot Paschal and Russ Slaughter and their dogs to gather the cattle. The men roped the cattle as the dogs drove them out of the brush. They loaded the cattle into trailers by pulling them in with their horses. They were having trouble pulling the big ones into the trailer. Their horses just couldn't do the job so Tom took Belle and on her he had no trouble pulling the biggest into the trailers.
They caught a very big bull that Tom said had to weigh at least 1300 lbs. Tom and Belle were pulling the bull into the trailer when the rope snapped and the end of the rope hit Tom in the rump. He said it was like he imagined it would be to get shot. Tom's wife, Karen said he was black and blue from his hip to his knee.
The men, dogs and horses only work every other day. They have to rest a day before they can start up again. This is an ongoing story. There are still cattle to be gathered. Russ Slaughter had to quit because his wife is expecting a baby any day and is having some trouble. Tom has replaced him with his brother Skeet who is another real cowboy.