The Fort Worth Herd is a must-see for millions of visitors to the city's Historic Stockyards.
Tourists and locals alike have watched drovers slowly move a herd of longhorn cattle down Exchange Street in a re-creation of the cattle drive era.
Wednesday brings a significant anniversary. July 20, 2022 marks 20 years since Kristin Jaworksi took over the reins of the world's only twice-daily cattle drive.
"I'll never forget what it was like to be new and how much I had to learn and the journey that this program has taken me. Meeting such wonderful people and mentors but also learning what professional development area I needed to progress. And horsemanship like you mentioned. It's so important that we sharpen our skills to be able to drive the longhorns down the street," Jaworksi said.
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In her two decades as trail boss, the Fort Worth Herd has earned new accreditations and certifications that validate the drovers, the program and the facilities as being up to standard.
While those are things visitors don't see, they are points of pride for Jaworski. The Tarleton State University graduate also prides herself on the day-to-day focus on authenticity.
"I really make it a goal every single day that we are authentic, that we never have strayed from that historic authentic story. And so, what you see when those drovers are driving the longhorns down the street is period correct clothing, saddles that are replicas from the late 1800s. And that story is something that is important to Fort Worth's western heritage and the American cowboy and the history here in Fort Worth," she said.
The city debuted the Fort Worth Herd on June 12, 1999. It was created as part of the city's sesquicentennial celebration.
Jaworski is the only woman to serve as the herd's trail boss but she is quick to point out that women were on the trail back in the 1800s and in leadership positions. The diversity back then is the story she strives to tell today.
The cattle drives are held daily at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. along East Exchange in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District.
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