The Ranchlands Podcast #09: Kate Matheson

For this week’s episode, Ed headed over to the Nature Conservancy’s Zapata Ranch in Colorado’s San Luis Valley where he met up with Kate Matheson. Kate is the manager of the Zapata Ranch for Ranchlands, and she is also our Director of Hospitality and PR.

Originally from England, Kate enjoyed a successful career in publishing and fashion before a fateful trip to the American West drastically changed her trajectory. After a few years of working on a ranch in Montana, Kate eventually found her way to Ranchlands, where she has been an invaluable member of the team for many years.

This is a wonderful conversation about Kate’s fascinating career path, her deep love for horses, and her journey from her home in England to her new home in the American West. If you have any follow-up questions for Kate, you can email them to podcast@ranchlands.com, and we’ll answer them in a future Q&A episode.

Our Guest

With a previous career working in magazines and a background in photography, Kate Matheson’s next chapter of living and working on ranches started after a sabbatical took her to Montana for the first time in 2007. Though working with cattle and on large landscapes was new, horses have been a constant throughout her life since growing up on the South Downs in East Sussex.

Now in her 12th year of working with Ranchlands, the diversification of Kate’s role keeps her learning, both on the ground and in her ambition for Ranchlands' mission, all while stewarding one of the most amazing places in the American West. Today, Kate manages PR for Ranchlands and the Zapata Ranch agricultural and hospitality operations.