Buckaroos and Mud Pups tells the story of ranching in frontier British Columbia, highlighting the people and events that shaped the industry. Starting in 1858 with the first of the drives that would see more than 22,000 head of cattle brought into the province over the next 10 years, it moves through to 1914, by which time ranching in the BC Interior had become big business. These are stories about drovers, ranchers, cowboys and 'mud pups' (trainees), about ups and downs, hard work and hard play, as a fledgling industry responded to the events that either helped or hindered its growth. Ken Mather captures the spirit of these times with tales of remarkable drives, famous ranches and legendary characters-people like the flamboyant Harper brothers, drovers who eventually became the biggest landowners in BC Buckaroos and Mud Pups is an entertaining look at fascinating times and the men who made them so.