You’ve worked on almost every Ranchlands property. Can you talk a little about each one that you’ve experienced? Their differences and similarities? Lessons learned at each one?

I started in South Dakota on the Wilder Ranch, where really I just got a basic introduction to ranching and working with horses. After that lease ended, we moved down to Chico and were just kind of everywhere, but that was where I really learned about electric fencing and what a good community surrounded Ranchlands. Then in 2021, I started working on the Frying Pan in Texas and spent a little over one year there. That is when I began to really love the land, horses, cattle, and the work that made it possible. After that I went up to the Paintrock, where I got a very valuable basic experience of tractors and cattle health and started to understand cattle handling. Now I am at the Zapata, and it's been a completely different experience, but super valuable because of all the random things I’ve had to figure out.

Overall I would say that every ranch is a beautiful place to be and each has their upsides. The main differences between them are Chico is flatter, Texas is hotter, Wyoming is colder and steeper, and the Zapata has lots of wind and too much sand. I haven’t worked at the MP but I think it’s still equally as beautiful as everywhere else but I can’t say what the biggest differences are. Overall, each place is just different enough that I’ve gotten a very good overall understanding of ranching from these different perspectives and I am so grateful for the opportunity to experience these great places.

You grew up in Crestone, relatively near the Zapata Ranch where you live and work now. How do you think that influences the way you see the ranch? 

Everything in the valley is pretty close so I know where the good hiking trails and fishing streams are, and I still know people around here. Plus, I still have family in Crestone so it's really easy to go over and see them. Really the reason I work for Ranchlands is because I grew up nearby and knew about the Zapata and all that, so being back in the Valley and working here has made the ranch feel like home.

What’s your favorite place on the Zapata?

There is a creek that comes down onto the ranch, and as soon as it runs under Highway 150, there is a stand of cottonwoods. In this area there is a water gauge and a couple of irrigation ditches, along which willows and wild hops grow. I love this area in the trees and grass where we’ve had elk, deer, bears and mountain lions hanging out and making an impact.

What's the best skill you’ve learned so far working maintenance for Zapata? 

Whenever I am doing something new, I've learned that taking the time to make sure that something is done right makes the learning process faster. I’ve had to do a lot of drywall, plumbing, and painting fixes this year that I have never done before. I finally realized that taking the time to prep everything and spending more time to do it right makes learning how to do it easier and the final product usually looks better too. It’s easy to fix things quickly and make it work, but then you don't really learn how to do it. I’m just grateful to have realized that, so I can continue to grow and improve.

Do you enjoy fencing?

I really enjoy fencing because it’s not too hard and you get to see some really pretty places but mostly there is no telling what cool things you will come across. I’ve seen arrowheads, antler sheds— every time it’s like a mini treasure hunt.

Do you have a favorite horse you've worked with on the Zapata?

My favorite horse that I’ve worked with on the Zapata is a new one that we got this year called Rip. He is a very tall, black quarter horse with a white stripe down his face. When he first arrived, he wouldn’t move out with a rider and would just stand there or move forward a bit and then trip on himself and not want to move again. Now long story short, the reason he is my favorite is that I have never experienced such a change in a horse by only focusing on bending exercises that helped him to transfer his weight onto his back legs. Once he realized that by carrying more weight in his hindquarters he would stop tripping, he became much more confident and had no problem walking and trotting out. And because of the bending exercise that we were doing, he got a lot more responsive to my legs. It was just fantastic to see and feel how he became much more confident and began to carry himself completely differently.