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Over two hundred riders move a herd of hundreds of bison over the northern end of Antelope Island State Park during the annual Bison Roundup on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. Each fall, park officials and volunteers round up the wild bison, check their health and sell off extra animals in order to keep the size of the herd in check.

BENJAMIN ZACK/STANDARD-EXAMINER

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Riders slowly work their way up Heartbreak Hill on Antelope Island State Park during the annual Bison Roundup on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. This year's ride covered around five miles from the dried up lakebed near Fielding Garr Ranch to the final corrals near Whiterock Bay.

BENJAMIN ZACK/STANDARD-EXAMINER

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Shane Stratton cuddles with his dog, Sage, before the start of the Bison Roundup on Antelope Island on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. Riders from around the world take part in the roundup.

BENJAMIN ZACK/STANDARD-EXAMINER

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A bison turns on one of the riders as the animals are moved into a corral near the end of the annual Bison Roundup on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. Around 750 bison currently live on the island.

BENJAMIN ZACK/STANDARD-EXAMINER

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Don Bradshaw of Clearfield looks over the group of riders and bison during a rest break at the annual Bison Roundup on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. Bradshaw has been riding in the roundup for two decades.

BENJAMIN ZACK/STANDARD-EXAMINER

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SYRACUSE — There was more to the feeling of days gone by than a herd of bison being chased by horses Friday, Oct. 23, at Antelope Island State Park.

The 29th Annual Antelope Island Bison Roundup featured Don Bradshaw of Clearfield, who rode in a vintage long coat reminiscent of a time when bison roamed the American plains, making the trek on a colorful Appaloosa horse named Spot.

“My dad’s a real-life cowboy,” said his daughter, KyAnn Betz of Layton. “We’re like ‘Dad! We’re just going to Costco. You don’t need spurs.”

“He is so colorful,” said Utah Rep. Steve Handy (R. District 16), who was participating alongside Bradshaw. “He’s been able to carve out a lifestyle that all of us would like.”

Bradshaw has participated in the roundup for 20 years. A true cowboy at 72 who puts 10,000 miles a year on his horse trailer — taking him to out of the way places where he rides his horse Spot 1,000 miles per year — Bradshaw said he has a lot of fond memories from the roundup.

He said in 1983, the causeway had been washed out and the lake was so low, participants drove their trucks and trailers through a foot and a half of lake water from around Grantsville.

“Our trucks and trailers were rusting all winter,” he said.

A few years ago, Brandshaw rode the trail at the roundup with his daughter in pouring rain. They’ve also experienced snow on the ride.

• RELATED: 3 things to know about the Antelope Island bison round up

Having made the event a father and daughter outing for six years, Bradshaw and his daughter said they wouldn’t miss the roundup for the world. Betz said she’s ridden horses with her dad since before she could walk but she’s a bit out of practice these days.

“Real cowboys won’t need Bengay after their ride, but I will,” she said.

But Betz said the event was worth it. “Where can you get this close to buffalo?” she said, noting having seen horses gored in past roundups. “There is a danger. When the buffalo chase you, they get you.”

This year’s 225 riders pushed the 750 bison five miles from the island’s Fielding Garr Ranch to the bison holding pens in a record four hours.

Park Manager Jeremy Shaw said the bison have become accustomed to being rounded up and were very cooperative this year.

• RELATED: Antelope Island bison carry vestige of Western heritage   

Barbara Riddle, of West Kaysville, said Shaw needed to take more credit for the quick move because of state park’s strategic efforts and professionalism. 

Riddle played host to state dignitaries who were part of the event. She said Utah Lt. Governor Spencer Cox was on the island for the first time to participate. She also hosted Justin Harding, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s chief of staff.

“It’s such an iconic Western event and it became an adventure for them,” she said. Riddle and her guests were among a small group of riders who went out onto the salt flats that in typical years is under water in the Great Salt Lake.

She and her guests had to run their horses to keep up and get the animals back with the herd.

“We ended up running full throttle like we were on a race course,” she said. “Rep. Brad Wilson (R, District 15) said ‘I’ve never run so fast on a horse in my life.'”

Each year, one of the country’s largest and oldest public herds is rounded up at the island by equestrians of all abilities in an event that draws people from all over the country and even the world.

• RELATED: Riders herding bison on Antelope Island

Benedikt Preisler, of Frankfurt, Germany, attended this year while he was in town on business.

Preisler said he read about the event in a local newspaper last year while he was in Utah.

After securing himself a horse from R & G Horse and Wagon, Preisler said he prepared by learning and practicing western riding in Germany, which he said was a difficult task to orchestrate. “Cowboys and cowgirls are hard to come by there,” he said.

Preisler said “seeing the massive animals up close” and those who lived the Western way of life first-hand made his adventure worth the effort.

Others, who came from Washington state and Colorado said they wouldn’t miss the event each year and didn’t mind traveling great distances to attend.

You may reach reporter JaNae Francis at 801-625-4228. Follow her on Twitter at @JaNaeFrancisSE or like her on Facebook.