by DESMOND WILCOX
The characters we know from fiction who still live on today. Thirteen programmes which look at figures in an American landscape. 5: The Rancher
Earl Hardeman is a rancher in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; a beautiful valley flanked by the majestic Teton mountains. He breeds Here-ford cattle - in much the same style that his father did before him, and lives the cowboy life we've come to recognise in ' Westerns.' He still uses horses to ride the range and herd his cattle and pull sledges in winter; he still milks his cows by hand - and butchers his own meat.
But times have changed. The influx of tourists and speculators has caused land prices to soar to $10,000 an acre, which is still only enough land to graze just one cow - in a good year. The ' Frontier' life is under increasing pressure to capitulate to the tourist industry - and men like EARL hardeman are holding out.
Photography ian STONE
Film recordist JOHN HORE Historical adviser
PROFESSOR MARCCIS CUNLIFFE Research TRISTAN ALLSOP
Executive producer ADAM clapham Producer JOHN BIRD