Carhartt outfits Babbitt Ranches wranglers for photo shoot.
On Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, Babbitt Ranches cowboys and cowgirls were deep into a cattle drive, moving 1,500 heifers and steers to Spider Web Camp in preparation for Shipping Day. Cattle drives are common, but on this one, the well-dressed wranglers were outfitted in Carhartt’s 2026 fall collection.
The durable fabric didn’t disappoint as high-action cowboying was captured by state-of-the-art cameras and powerful lenses focused on details and movement in the cold, dusty high country.
“We never use hired talent for Carhartt promotional shoots. We always feature real people doing authentic work,” said Working Class Film Co. co-founder and Executive Producer Drake Harthun. “Our role is to tell the story as authentically as possible. Location scout James ‘Q’ Martin suggested Babbitt Ranches. We started researching the company and learned that the culture and the history around Babbitt Ranches fit the Carhartt brand. It was a good match.”
Much like the 140-year-old family business of Babbitt Ranches, the family-owned Carhartt company, founded in 1889, honors the shared values of hard work: dependability, honesty and trust. “We believe our actions must always speak louder than our words, because we are worn by the hardest-working people of them all,” states the company’s website.
Babbitt Ranches President and General Manager Billy Cordasco described the meaning of Cowboy Essence. “It’s a way of being, a lived expectation that every day, no matter the weather, the work or the circumstance, we show up at our best. It’s steadiness when things get hard and quiet humility when things go well. And it isn’t limited to cowboys. It belongs to anyone who works with heart.”
A small army of videographers, photographers, editors, artists and content creators set up camp like a Western movie set at Spider Web, complete with trailers and caterers. Stylists made use of the rustic setting, hanging the newest line of sweatshirts and tees from wooden wagons and fences. Digital editors in portable booths sorted through photos as they came in.
“There were so many beautiful moments. We absolutely captured everything we were looking for and were blown away by the imagery,” said Harthun.
The quiet of the crisp fall morning as cowboys and cowgirls were saddling up was especially memorable, he said. “It was the peaceful moment before the storm. And then it was stunning to see the landscape explode into action as ranch family members rounded up and moved the cattle. Seeing it all come together in a systematic way was just incredible.”
“We had a lot of work to get done that day,” said Ranch Manager Clay Rodgers. “The Carhartt folks and the production crew were really nice people.”
Still images as well as video assets and interviews from the production shoot are expected to be used in a multimedia campaign, beginning in late summer.
“Babbitt Ranches was such a pleasure to work with,” said Harthun. “They were so accommodating and excited to let us into their world and show us what their day-to-day looks like. And their Cowboy Essence – well, nothing I’ve come across has matched the feeling we got that day on Spider Web Camp. It was, by far, one of the best days we’ve had on a ranch in the last 10 years that we’ve been working with the Carhartt brand.”
“Cowboy Essence is how you carry yourself. Carhartt builds what carries with you,” said Cordasco. “And that’s the shared ethic that connects Babbitt Ranches, Carhartt and the men and women who live with this kind of heart every day.” FBN
By Bonnie Stevens, FBN
Photo by Chad de Alva: Babbitt Ranches cowboys and cowgirls model Carhartt clothing line on the job.
Leave a Reply