Florida's cattle culture dates back nearly 500 years, from the first cattle unloaded by Spanish sailors near present-day Port Charlotte, to the cattle-driving "cow hunters" of the 19th century, to the modern-day industry that tops more than 1 billion head of cattle in the state and boasts one of the largest commercial cattle herds in the country.
It's that history that spurred the 2016 Great Florida Cattle Drive (itself a commemoration of a 1995 cattle drive celebrating 150 years of Florida statehood), which drew more than 400 riders drove around 500 head of cattle over
Monday at 1 p.m. on Gulf Coast Live, Doyle Conner Jr., the Chairman of the Great Florida Cattle Drive, joins the program to share what he calls "the Gospel of Florida," the stories of Florida's cattle history and efforts to remember and preserve that heritage today.
Also joining the program are Elam and Nic Stoltzfus, producers of a feature-length documentary on the drive called “The Great Florida Cattle Drive: Unbroken Circles.” It premiers on several PBS stations across Florida tonight, and airs at 11 p.m. tonight on WGCU.