A bull reacts to a branding during the entry process, or the "shoot," at the Riley Livestock Ranch in Mayfield, Ky., on October 1, 2008. Nearly 175,000 cows come through the ranch before they are sold. (2008 Aaron Rosenblatt / The Mountain Workshops)Jimmy Hale stands next to a sanitizing bucket and a box of discarded bull testicles at the Riley Livestock Ranch in Mayfield, Ky., on October 1, 2008. All cattle are branded and given shots before entering the ranch. (2008 Aaron Rosenblatt / The Mountain Workshops)Jeff Riley gets dressed before work on October 4, 2008. Jeff, 43, never went to college, but he had gotten a life-long education in the cattle business that has contributed to his success. With the economy in decline, he focuses on purchasing cattle while they are cheap and selling them when their value increases. Jeff Riley inside his office in Mayfield on October 3, 2008. Riley is President of Riley Livestock, Inc., and is a 3rd generation cattle trader. Riley learned much of the trade from his father, John. "He taught me everything about cattle," Riley said. "He also taught me how to keep customers. Just be honest, be fair and keep your word."Jeff Riley makes a phone call at a livestock auction in Guthrie, Ky. on October 2, 2008. Riley makes the trip to Guthrie each Thursday to purchase beef-cattle. Jeff sits in the same seat each week, where he has access to a personal telephone. Jeff Riley releases cattle after a weighing them in Clinton, Ky., on October 4, 2008. Riley manages 20 employees and 2,000 acres of corn and several thousand beef cattle. Jeff Riley sorts his cattle at the Riley Livestock Ranch in Mayfield on October 2, 2008. Riley's job requires long days and a lot of number crunching, but he loves being around cattle. "Riley can teach you a thing or six about cattle," Scott Jolley of Cadiz, who was selling cattle to Riley, said. "But taking a day off, he's no good at that."Unfortunately there is no info with this photo.Jackets and a cowboy hat hang by the backdoor to Jeff Riley's office in Mayfield on October 2, 2008. Muddy boots by the backdoor of Jeff Riley's office in Mayfield on October 3, 2008.
