From Montana to Tennessee

How did a fifth generation cowboy from Montana end up in Tennessee?

My grandfather, Knowles "Bud" Hendrickson, was born in the Bitterroot Valley in Montana and raised as a fourth generation cowboy. As a 16 year old, he rode his horse from Montana to Idaho to join the Army for World War II -- only to be turned around due to his age. That didn't deter him though, as he made the same trip as a 17 year old and successfully enlisted into the United States Army.

After fighting through the Siege of Bastogne, Battle of the Bulge, and more in service of his country, a young Bud Hendrickson returned stateside to Ft. Campbell in Kentucky. While the Bluegrass State may be a far cry from the mountains of Montana, it led him to meet his southern belle -- Mary Lou Carpenter. As young couples do, they fell in love, got married, and she followed him back home to Montana. With five children between them (Barbara, Rocky, Rusty, Sue, Linda), they made their lives in the Flathead Valley. Growing up training race horses, raising rodeo stock, and walking to school five miles uphill each way, my father (Rocky) and his siblings were accustomed to the sacerifices often required to live a life dedicated to livestock and the land.

My grandmother, while as tough and capable as any woman, eventually tired of the winters in Montana and brought the family back south. Settling in Sumner County, Tennesee in the fifties as cowboys from Montana was a bit of a culture shock for my father and his siblings, but they found their paths as my grandfather continued to train race horses and started 3 Bar Rodeo Company. My father would travel with the rodeo all over the Mid-South, often recalling the mustard sandwiches he'd live off of for the weekend.

Fast forward... Here I am. Connor Hendrickson, son of Rocky and grandson of Bud. The core of my mission is to honor the generations before me as a servant to the community and steward of our livestock and the land. In that way, I figure we can have a sixth generation of cowboy on this side of the family tree.

Thank you for your interest in us and the time you spent to learn more. We look forward to providing more stories in the future.

We are still proud to represent our Montana heritage wherever possible. Chief comes from Mahlstead Ranch in Eastern Montana, and serves as a daily reminder of where we come from.