WYOMING — Larry Cundall, of Douglas, and recently of Glendo, was inducted into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in Casper on September 16th. He was given his award by Wyoming Senator, John Barrasso, and Hall of Fame board member, Jim Kruse, of Lance Creek. 

Cundall was born in Platte County, July 31, 1949, and was the fourth-generation manager of the Cundall ranch east of Glendo. Cundall grew up on horseback, helping his grandfather, Don Sommers, trail cattle from his ranch south of Glendo to Cow Camp on the Laramie Plains, a three-day trail drive. He and his new bride, Ruthie Miller, moved to the ranch in 1974 following college at EWC and UW and a short stay at Wyoming Highway Department as a draftsman. Cundall is a Vietnam Veteran, serving with the US Army as an agricultural advisor, and was awarded a Bronze Star. 

The Cundall Ranch, established in 1917, was honored as a Wyoming Centennial Farm and Ranch in 2018. Some of the ranch, including the original headquarters, was flooded by Glendo Lake when Glendo Dam was completed in 1957. The Oregon Trail traverses the ranch including several marked gravesites along the trail. Cundall and Ruthie worked for many years for Cundall’s father, Lee Cundall, until they were able to buy part of the ranch and later another portion when Lee retired. 

Cundall is always willing to help if a neighbor has a sick calf or cow, with problems calving, or any ranching related issue. His specialty at brandings is a roper, but he is equally skilled at branding, doctoring, or any other capacity needed. He raised and trained many of the fine horses he used in his operation. 

Cundall used a program of rotational grazing and constant improvements to the ranch to keep the soil and grass healthy for his cattle. This involved being in the saddle almost daily, checking water and range conditions and moving cattle. Cundall is known as the “dung beetle man” around Platte County, studying and utilizing the improvements these insects make to the soil as they go about their “business.”

The Cundall Ranch received a commendation for excellence from the Wyoming Beef Cattle Improvement Federation Association in 1988. This was the first of many awards and honors bestowed on the ranch under Larry and Ruthie’s management. Cundall was the only rancher in a group that was honored in 2015 with a trip to Washington DC, as a representative to the White House Champions of Change for Sustainable Agriculture program. He served more than 25 years on the Administrative Council of the U.S.D.A. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, including as Chairman. The Cundall Ranch was named the Platte County Ag Business of the year in 2016 and received an Historical Restoration Award in 2017 from the Wyoming Pioneer Association for the restoration of a 1934 farm truck from a neighboring ranch. 

Cundall hired and mentored several young cowboys and cowgirls who all benefited from the time they spent on the ranch. The Cundall Ranch was sold in 2021 and Larry and Ruthie moved to a smaller acreage in Converse County but continue to run cattle on shares with the new owners. Cundall is still horseback as needed.  In his spare time, he enjoys team roping and wood working. 

Cundall is a founding member of the Glendo Rodeo Club, Future Farmers of America officer, and has served his community in many other capacities as a leader. In addition to serving on the FMHA Advisory Board, he was President of Glendo Wind Association, and served on the Advisory Board to the Platte County Extension Office, and as a member of the County Committee for The Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. He has been a volunteer firefighter since 1978, he was appointed to the District Fire Board for Platte County. Cundall served as Commander of the American Legion Post in Glendo, as a former serviceman.