Living up to his nickname "Cowboy"

In the first article, Louis Woodrow "Louie" Vero of Greenough, Mont. told of his early years riding and roping. With the nickname "cowboy" given to him by his mother at age two, he had a lot to live up to. Vero served in the U.S. Air Force and graduated with a degree in animal science and agriculture from Cal-Poly. He worked for the E Bar L Ranch in Greenough during his summers in college.

GREEOUGH - Not only was Vero smitten with Montana, he also fell in love with E Bar L ranch owner Bill Potter's daughter, Mary. After courting her with great tenacity, she said yes. They were married but not without skepticism from her father.

During their first years together, they left the ranch and cowboyed in Idaho and Oregon for some large outfits with over 1,000 mother cows and calves and up to 4,000 steers near the Columbia River. Vero honed his skills with horses and cattle.

Vero shared a roping success story while working the fields in Oregon. The cattle were prone to foot rot since the fields were wet. One morning just before 8 a.m., while riding alone on a mare named Chiquita, Vero noticed a heifer limping in the pasture. His plan was simple: rope her, restraint her and doctor her, "A cowboy's work, right?" said Vero.

Vero said he followed behind her until she slowed down just enough. He threw his rope down and got both heels. He pulled the slack, went to the horn and dallied around the horn. He eased his horse to get a short hold, stepped down and doctored her.

"The wonderful thing was I caught her on the first try and just when I did, the school bus went by and all these kids were cheering," said Vero with a big smile and a laugh. "It was wonderful. I felt like King Kong."

While in Oregon, Vero also tried his roping skills on the large semi-aquatic rodents call nutria common along the Columbia River. Much to his surprise he was successful in this venture as well.

After a few years away from Montana the couple returned to work on the E Bar L. They kept up with ranch guests, cared for the horse herd, put up hay, managed pastures and the natural resources with logging and weed control. The Veros raised two children Juanita and Emmanuel.

Always looking to improve his horsemanship, Vero attended a Ray Hunt Clinic in Wyoming. He got along so well with Hunt that he attended a few more before inviting him to Montana. Vero hosted Hunt's clinics several times at the ranch all the while learning more and more from the legendary horsemen. One of the most important things Vero learned from Hunt was to give the horse credit for the rider's success. Vero believed all he needed to do was to show the horse what he wanted done and then stay out of its way.

Vero also competed in Team and Ranch Roping's over the years and is one of the charter members of Western Montana Ranch Roping. His roping buddies named him "Lucky Louie" for all the improbable catches that he makes.

"There are three lives involved [in roping]. The rider, the horse and the animal being worked. When they all three come together, it is pretty darn nice," said Vero.

One of Vero's favorite wins was in the mid-1970s when he and Mary won the pro team roping event at the Western Montana Fair and Rodeo. They roped the steer in 9.7 seconds and walked away with $400. He said he bought himself a pair of new boots with his winnings.

Vero went on to win in the Season Series Top 5 on multiple occasions. He also won the Cowboy Traditions Ranch Roping in Ellensburg, Wash. in 2012 at age 73. In 2018, at age 78 his team placed third.

Typical of Vero, when asked about the Ellensburg roping, he talked mostly about the paint gelding he raised named Red Tail.

Vero first sold Red Tail to Marcus Mays. Several competitors have ridden Red Tail in the years of the Cowboy Traditions Ranch Roping while carrying a winner to three overall titles as well as placing in the money each year the event has been held since its inception in 2011.

"Red Tail was willing and by then I knew how to show things and do things to the best of the horse's ability," said Vero. "It was a blast, it was really a good feeling."

When not in the saddle, Vero served on the Sunset School Board for 10 years. He followed a simple creed while serving as a trustee: hire a teacher, make sure there is fuel for the furnace and don't let the waterlines freeze.

Vero also enjoys sharing his stories and performing poems he has memorized including Tex Ritter's version of "Face on the Barroom Floor" and "Man in the Glass" by Dale Wimbrow. He has performed during "Tell Us Something" a podcast celebrating stories of the community at the Wilma Theatre in Missoula.

At 79, Vero considers himself retired. He said he really has been blessed with his family and his friends. Vero credits his father-in-law Bill Potter with teaching him how to handle horses, how to stay out of trouble and how to be on time. He also taught him the value of hard, clean work.

"The man was very organized and really built a beautiful ranch," said Vero.

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Superintendent of Charlo schools and fellow team roper Steve Love nominated Vero for the Cowboy Hall of Fame. He felt that Vero should be recognized for all he has done for cowboy culture and horsemanship.

Love met Vero nearly eight years ago when they rode to Ellensburg, Wash. together for a roping competition. They have competed together ever since.

Love said he has always been impressed with Vero's positivity, infectious enthusiasm, good attitude and his honesty. He also is just a good cowboy.

"If you are called a good hand that means something. Louie is a good hand," said Love.

Love explained that Vero can rope, he can ride and is good with his horse. Any horse that Vero rides is calm, wants to do its job, and if it is not following directions, Vero knows how to transfer his positive attitude and energy into the horse.

"I would rope with Louie on my team or he would help me get a job done any day of the week or twice on Sunday. That is just what kind of a guy he is," said Love. "Here is a guy that is pushing 80 and I'm half his age and I'm sitting there saying I hope I can do what he's doing at 50."

Love said it was gratifying see Vero inducted, since Vero never looks for recognition himself. In his letter of nomination Love wrote, "He is courteous, funny and just someone everybody enjoys being around... Louis "Louie" Woodrow Vero has spent most of his adult life helping to foster the western lifestyle and traditions. He is a cowboy, a horseman, a veteran of the United States Air Force, a poet and most importantly a gentleman.

As one of his former hired men said when asked about Louie...'He makes everyone around him better and everybody aspires to be like him. When I am around Louie, I have to up my game.'"

Vero's bit of advice as a new inductee into the Cowboy Hall of Fame was, "Find out who you are and stick to it...I guess I'm living up to the name my mother gave me."