Larry was born and raised on a homestead (CS Ranch) west of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta nestled in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies.
His dad, Clarence, was one of the first and most sought after big game guide and outfitters in Western Canada. He ran over one hundred and twenty-five head of pack and saddle horses, cattle, and most every species of traditional farm animal. All of Larry's siblings obtained their guiding licenses and worked hand in hand with Clarence until his passing in 1952. Larry was just a teenager when his father died.
They had built a rodeo arena on the ranch and any of the horses that would not train for pack or saddle were used for bronc riding practise. Young Larry started competing in rodeos at the age of twelve and at seventeen he became a charter member of the Foothills Cowboy Association.
In seven years of “Ridin' F. C. A.” he won a lot of trophies, buckles, and two Year End championships. Larry also won the Caroline, Alberta Bighorn Stampede's All Round Cowboy title three years in a row (1958, 1959, 1960), earning him the right to keep the travelling championship trophy that he still proudly showcases in his Innisfail home.
Larry also competed some in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association where he had the opportunity to meet many great pro rodeo cowboys including Bill Collins, who would play a large role in Larry's career in later years, including becoming his good friend.
Young Larry made his way rodeoing in the summer, guiding big game hunters in the fall, working lumber camps and oilfield rigs through the winters, his guitar never too far away.
Years later, he partnered in a quarter horse ranch near Barrhead, Alberta, raising and training performance and halter horses in the early to late seventies.
Wanting more excitement in his ranching career he looked up old rodeo acquaintance Bill Collins. He had heard that Bill was operating a cutting horse facility in Edmonton. Larry wound up spending a great deal of time at Collins' stable, learning barn management, proper horsemanship, and modern training techniques. He found out there was more to training a horse than the old school method of “breaking them” back in the fifties.
But through Collins he also learned about the sport of cutting, and once bitten by the cutting bug, there was no turning back for Larry.
In the early eighties, with the support of his wife Brenda and the tutoring of the masterful Bill Collins, he hit the cutting horse circuit, travelling from Smithers, B.C. to the west all the way to Brandon, Manitoba to the east, competing with and promoting cutting horses.
Larry`s career in the cutting horse sport saw him win numerous championships, including the Canadian Open title at the Edmonton Canadian Finals Rodeo.
He went on to train cutters on his own and also judged many competitions, holding both C.C.H.A. and N.C.H.A. judging cards.
Larry sat for two separate terms as president of the Canadian Cutting Horse Association and in 2004 was inducted to the C.C.H.A. Hall of Fame.
About his cowboy career and life in general he says, “It's been quite a ride.”
The Cowboy