Sunday, May 2, 1999
6666 Ranch, Guthrie
The Burnett Ranches, also known as the 6666 Ranches, are among the most storied family-run businesses in the proud history of Texas. One of the most famous brands in America, the 6666 (four sixes) was founded by Capt. Samuel “Burk” Burnett in about 1870. Legend has it that Capt. Burnett, better known as Capt. Burk, won their property with a poker hand. However, in reality he purchased it when he obtained a small herd of cattle, which already carried the brand. From that point on, Capt. Burk set out and amassed in the name of the 6666’s one of the largest cattle empires in the state of Texas.
Capt. Burk’s ranching experiences started on the free ranges near Denton when his father joined the Confederacy in the 1860s. He bossed cattle up the Chisholm Trail and in the early 1870s he went into business for himself. His herds soon found their way to North Central Texas and onto the Indian lands of the Apache, Kiowa and Comanche, which later became Oklahoma.
It was through his influence with Chief Quanah Parker and President Teddy Roosevelt that the Texas cattle grazed and grew fat for nearly 20 years. As statehood for Oklahoma approached, Capt. Burk Burnett purchased more grazing land in the Texas Panhandle near the town of Borger.
Capt. Burk died in 1922. His son, Tom, operated under the Triangle brand. Growing up under the watchful eye of his father, Tom’s ability and knowledge of cattle and horses soon gained him an excellent reputation. This matched with his ability to communicate with the Comanches earned him the position of Wagon Boss for his father’s Big Pasture herds grazing the Indian Nations. Primarily a Hereford cattle operation, the ranch continues to uphold the standards of quality and performance its founders established years ago.
Team Captain: Mike Seago
Team Members: Butch Gass, Monte Hollar, Cody Cockrun, Junior Daniel, Reggie Hatfield