The Royal North West Mounted Police were the first ranchers in Alberta. They laid the foundation for the three major Cowtowns: Fort Macleod, Calgary and Maple Creek. Fort Benton, a trading post in Montana, played an important role in providing longhorns for the first ranches. These Mexican cattle were trailed up to Alberta by Texas Cowpunchers. The Canadians picked up their style of riding and handling cattle and developed large corporate ranches funded by wealthy Scotsmen. A few of these ranches are still operating today and you see Buckaroo-style gear and Vaquero-style horsemanship. Theses California traditions were passed down in clinics by Ray Hunt and Tom Dorrance.