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*Moorhouse Ranch Co.*          *Tongue River Ranch*         *W.H. Green Cattle Co.*

*Pitchfork Ranch*         *Guitar Ranches*          *6666 Ranch*          *Spade Ranch*

*Haythorn Land and Cattle Co.*         *Muleshoe Ranch*          *Matthews/Nail Ranches*

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W.H. Green Cattle Company
Albany, Texas

Founded: 1892

Awards: Excellence in Grazing Management, Society for Range Management

In 1885, young and ambitious William Henry Green purchased the beginnings of the Green Ranches with proceeds from a sale of horses rounded up around the Albany area. Today, Henry Green’s children have ranches in Stephens, Shackelford, Oldham, Hartley and Motley Counties totaling over 150,000 acres. The Green Ranches run Hereford and black baldy cows plus yearlings as well as a brood mare herd to furnish replacement horses for their ranching operation.

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Guitar Ranches
Abilene, Texas

Founded: 1906

The first Guitar Ranch was purchased in 1906 at Big Spring, Texas by John Guitar, Sr.  In the following three decades, he expanded his ranch holdings into Carlsbad, NM and Spur, TX.  His son Earl continued the ranching tradition in West Texas and increased holdings as his wife inherited the Hardy Grissom Ranch east of Abilene and as he leased and purchased parts of the Big Spring and Spur ranches.  Today, Earl’s son Phil continues to operate these ranches. The Guitar Ranches run a combination cow-calf and yearling operation in the Texas Panhandle.  Jane Guitar, Phil’s wife, owns and operates the W.F. Martin Ranch in Fisher and Stonewall counties.  Both Phil and Jane are dedicated volunteers of the Western Heritage Classic.  Phil and Perry Johns are partners in a horse breeding operation at Spur Ranch.

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Haythorn Land & Cattle Company
Arthur, Nebraska

Founded: 1884

Awards: Western Heritage Classic Winner 1988, 1990 & 1991, AQHA "Best Remuda Award" 1992,

AQHA Heritage Award, American Cowboy Culture Award 1997

Founded in 1884 by Harry Haythornthwaite from Lancaster, England who arrived in Texas as a young stowaway on a ship to America, the Haythorn Land and Cattle Co. now spreads over four ranches in three Nebraska counties.  Craig Haythorn, Harry’s great-grandson, along with wife Jody and sons Sage and Cord continue to carry on the ranch’s rich western traditions.  Horses have played a pivotal role in the ranch's survival ever since Harry loaded his saddle on a train and headed for Baker, Oregon, where he gathered in 500 head of horses and trailed them back to Nebraska.  Ever since, the Haythorn name has been synonymous with good working horses. The Haythorn Ranch was the first Nebraska ranch to register Quarter Horses.  It was recognized in 1992-93 with the first annual Best Remuda Award bestowed by AQHA.

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Matthews/Nail Ranches
Albany, Texas

Founded: 1885

J.A. MATTHEWS RANCH - The Matthews family came to the Clear Fork area in 1858. In 1885 John Alexander Matthews and Sallie Reynolds Matthews registered the famous "open A, lazy U" brand. As in the early days, Hereford cattle are the main stay of the ranch.  Angus, Brangus, and Longhorn bulls and more than 40 working horses and chuck wagon mules round out the livestock population at the ranch.  NAIL RANCH - Before setting up a ranching operation in and around Shackelford County in the late 1890’s, the Nail Family enjoyed an impressive ranching heritage in other parts of Texas. Upon settling the Albany location Jim Nail and his wife Chloe acquired the Monroe Cattle Company and eventually established his company as the J.H. Nail Cattle Company. 

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Moorhouse Ranch Co.
Benjamin, Texas

Founded: 1923

Awards: Texas Ranch Roundup Winner 1982 & 1995

Established in the 1930’s by J.C. (Togo) Moorhouse, the ranch is located near Benjamin, Texas.  The Moorhouse’s operate 96,000 acres, 10,000 of which they own.  The remaining land in Knox, Stonewall, King, Hall, Borden, and Haskell counties is leased and includes leases dating back to the 1940s.  Moorhouse Ranch Co. runs yearlings on wheat pasture and maintains a cow/calf operation.  In addition the ranch raises its own saddle horses.

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Muleshoe Ranch

Gail, Texas

Founded:  1913

W. K. Johnson, Sr. started the Muleshoe brand when he bought the Blackwater division of the XIT Ranch on the Blackwater draw about 1900.  He later sold the ranch (one section of which was donated for the town site that became Muleshoe, TX), but maintained the Muleshoe brand.  Johnson partnered with R.M. Clayton and eventually bought the land that is now the Muleshoe Ranch in 1913.  R.M. Clayton’s granddaughter, Barbara Anderson and husband Rich are the sole owners of the ranch.  Their son John, his wife Kevva and their three children live on the place.  They are the 4th and 5th generation to live on and operate the Muleshoe Ranch.

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Pitchfork Ranch
Guthrie, Texas

Founded: 1883

Awards: AQHA "Legacy Award" 1997, Texas Ranch Roundup Winner 1997

It was 115 years ago when Eugene Williams, a sales manager for a St. Louis-based shoe company, and his childhood friend, D.B. Gardner, a Texas surveyor, established the Pitchfork Ranch.  The ranch was named for the Pitchfork brand already worn by the first herd they purchased.  In 1883, the ranch was incorporated, with the principal stockholders being the Williams family.  Gardner managed the ranch in Guthrie for 47 productive years, and only six managers have held that position since, the present being Ron Lane.  The home ranch stretches across 165,000 acres outside of Lubbock, Texas with additional ranches in Benjamin, Texas and in the Flint Hills of Kansas.  The Williams family descendants continue to operate the 122-year old ranch in the same conservative manner as their founders with an emphasis on friendship and hospitality.

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6666 Ranch

Guthrie, Texas

Founded:  1870s

The Burnett Ranches, also known as the 6666 Ranches, are among the most storied family-run business in the proud history of Texas. One of the most famous brands, the 6666 was founded by Captain Samuel “Burk” Burnett in the 1870s. Legend has it, that Capt. Burnett, better known as Capt. Burk, won their property with a poker hand. However, in reality he purchased it when obtained a small herd of cattle, which already carried the brand. From then on, Capt. Burk set out and amassed in the name of the 6666 – one of the largest cattle empires in the state of Texas. Capt. Burk died in 1922. Primarily a Hereford cattle operation, the ranch continues to uphold the standards of quality and performance its founders established years ago.

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Spade Ranch

Lubbock, Texas

Founded: 1889

In 1889, Colonel Isaac Ellwood, one of the original inventors of barbed wire, made a trip to Colorado City on a market development tour. Before leaving, he bought 130,000 acres south of Colorado City to form the Renderbrook Ranch. When Ellwood bought 800 cows and the Spade brand from J.F. “Spade” Evans, the ranching empire got its name. The Spade ranches today consist of five outfits totaling 275,000 across Mitchell, Sterling Coke, Throckmorton, Baylor, Briscoe and Roberts counties. John Welch is the President and C.E.O. of Spade Ranches and the board of directors consists of six great-great-grandchildren of Isaac Ellwood, along with outside directors. The Spade ranch has employed a planned crossbreeding program since the late 1960’s and it continues today. The Spades also have a horse breeding program which crosses the daughters on their own son of Little Peppy with their son of Doc’s Hickory and vice versa.

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Tongue River Ranch
Dumont, Texas

Founded:  1898

In 1898 Eric and Albin Swensen, sons of S.M. Swensen of the SMS Ranches, purchased the 79,000 acre Scab 8 Ranch.  The brothers renamed it Tongue River Ranch.  Present day owner, Millard Morris purchased Tongue River at its current size of 89,000 acres in 1997, and added the New Mexico division in 2005 with further additions in 2007.  Over the past 11 years, Mr. Morris has focused on preserving the heritage of the ranch while making many improvements.  This includes a revitalization of headquarters and a state-of-the-art horse facility.  Tongue River Ranch has concentrated on raising outstanding horses.  This is evidenced by the numerous ranch rodeo wins and top horse honors the ranch has received.  Continuing tradition and preserving history is a way of life, not a job at Tongue River Ranch.

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