Babbitt Ranches Honored with AQHA Best Remuda Award They re tough, they re fast and they re in big demand. The sleek beauties of the Babbitt Ranches remuda are also big winners. With a 60-year-old reputation as the best horses possible to get the job done on the ranch and in the rodeo arena, Babbitt Ranches horses are known for their cow sense, smooth traveling and good feet. And now these horses have one more reason to hold their heads high. This fall they will gallop away with the prestigious Best Remuda Award from the American Quarter Horse Association and Bayer Animal Health. It s a huge honor for Babbitt Ranches to receive this award, says former Cataract Ranch Manager Harvey Howell. They have been recognized nationally for their many years of hard work for their horse-breeding program. The honor acknowledges the history of the Ranch s breeding program, significant achievements and the ability to produce outstanding Quarter Horses. To win the AQHA/Bayer Best Remuda Award, the Babbitt Ranch obviously has to have great horses, however, Babbitt Ranches is equally respected for its contributions in the cattle industry, says AQHA s Leman Wall, senior manager for membership services. They have a well-rounded program and maintain their commitment to their history, their family and community. Continued on page 6 Spider Web Set for Popular Colt Sale There are a lot of palomino babies this summer and Frosty Gold Knight s colts are expected to be some of the favorites. Babbitt Ranches Annual Hashknife Colt Sale and Barbecue, 11 a.m., Saturday, July 9, is shaping up to be one of the largest ever. For the first time, the colt sale will be at the Spider Web Ranch, some 30 miles north of Flagstaff off Highway 89, and the cowboys have been cleaning up, painting and working on the barn to prepare for the big event. Continued on page 6 Bill Owen triptych. See related story on page 4
Babbitts Zero in on the Country s Best Bulls It s been said that Linda Smedra can spot a good bull better than anyone else in the country and retired Babbitt Ranches Manager Bill Howell would agree. For more than a quarter of a century, Babbitt Ranches has trusted the Zero Hereford Ranch to supply it with only the best bulls, about 35, 1,300-pound bulls every year. Linda and her husband, David, own and operate the Zero Hereford Ranch consisting of some 750 head of cattle on 9,000 acres of rolling Nebraska grassland. We can t find any better bulls than what they have, says Howell. Back in the 70s, Howell went to Nebraska looking for quality bulls and was pointed to the Zero Hereford Ranch. I was very pleased with what I saw. You look for a good frame, not too much frame, tight muscles, a little longer head, the way a bull carries his head and a little longer stride so he can cover more country in the breeding season. It s only fitting that Linda would be an expert when it comes to the red and white faced livestock. Since 1920, her family has been in the cattle business. It all began in Graham County, Kan., when Linda s grandfather, Will Winter, purchased one registered Hereford bull and ten heifers. By 1925 conditions had become very dry, forcing Winter to drive his cattle to Brady Island, Neb., for good rangeland. He later drove them back home to Kansas, but by 1931, conditions had gotten much worse with the famed drought of the Dust Bowl coupled with the Great D e p r e s s i o n. By this time, the herd had grown to 200 head and Winter had lost his land and equipment. He said goodbye to Kansas for good and headed to Nebraska. The whole family made the move, which included Winter s wife, Alice, and their four children. The expanding cow herd required more land and my grandfather didn t believe in owning it anymore. Ground was leased near Tryon, some 30 miles north of Sutherland where he would stay with the cows, says Smedra. Grandma and the children stayed in Tryon where the kids could go to school. In 1951, Will s son, William Bill Winter, Jr., and his wife, Evelyn, purchased land near Loup City, Neb., for the ever-expanding herd. The other children would follow eventually and live in the vicinity. Ten years later, Winter, Jr., bought another ranch near Miller, Neb. By this time Zero Hereford Ranch had the fourth largest registered herd in the nation and remained the largest cattle ranching operation in Nebraska for the next 15 years, says Smedra. Winter, Jr., had two daughters, Linda and Patricia. After he died in 1995, Patricia took control of the ranch at Loup City but ended the practice of raising Hereford cattle. Linda and her family continued the Hereford tradition at Miller where they are today. I can t imagine any other kind of life, says Smedra. There s something very rewarding about being in this kind of business watching the cattle grow and seeing the land especially when we get a little rain. Today, Smedra s grandson rides a Babbitt American Quarter Horse named Bashful. The Babbitts are wonderful to work with. They re really, really nice people. You can t find nicer people anywhere. For More Information About Babbitt Ranches Call: 928/774-6199 Write: P.O. Box 520 Flagstaff, AZ 86002 Visit Our Web Site: www.babbittranches.com PAGE 2
Arizona Highways and Wildlife Views Feature Babbitt Ranches With breathtakingly beautiful photos for which Arizona Highways is known, the July 2005 edition features the long tradition of the Babbitt Ranches Annual Hashknife Colt Sale and the quality Driftwood bloodline that draws the crowds. Buyer Mike Pock is quoted in the article as saying, These are workin horses. They wouldn t be on this ranch if they weren t tough. Meantime, the May-June 2005 edition of Arizona Wildlife Views highlights the plight of northern Arizona s pronghorn and Babbitt Ranches extensive on-the-ground efforts to help the herd. Arizona Game and Fish Department Director Duane Shroufe praises Babbitts in the article, It s exciting for Arizona Game and Fish to have the Babbitt Ranches as a landowner-partner working on a daily basis to improve the health of Arizona s natural resources. Filmmakers Explore Mars Through CO Bar If Mars is like nowhere on Earth and Babbitt Ranches looks more like Mars than anywhere else, it could be that the CO Bar Ranch is like nowhere else on Earth! Such reasoning is what may well have brought the producers of a developing large screen format IMAX film to northern Arizona. A film crew spent two days on Babbitt Ranchlands in February with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists. They were working to capture footage that will help tell the story of what scientists know about the red planet, largely learned through the lenses of the twin roaming robots of the Mars Exploration Rover Project. The success of Opportunity and Spirit has exceeded the expectations of even the most optimistic scientists. Whether it s the tiny craters that Opportunity has discovered or the flurry of Martian dust devils that Spirit has encountered, the rovers have been feeding hungry researchers a feast of information. Sometime next year, filmmakers expect to satisfy the appetite of a huge general audience craving all it can get about Mars. White Mountain Films President George Butler is the producer and director on the project. We re doing the film because it s Mars! he says. We re told the Mars Rover Web site has received more than 20 million hits. It s supposed to be the most popular Web site in the history of the Web. White Mountain Films has teamed up with Vineyard Productions to create the film. Butler says he and the crew are very grateful to Babbitt Ranches to be able to shoot on the CO Bar and Babbitt Ranches will be listed in the credits on the large format movie screen. Gas and Oil Exploration to Continue Scientists tested the rovers on the rugged terrain of Babbitt Ranchlands before sending them to Mars. Natural gas and oil exploration is expected to continue south of Gray Mountain on the CO Bar Ranch. About a year and a half ago, geologists who had studied the area drilled some 4,300 feet down and came up with fresh flowing water. While that was a nice find for an Arizona ranch, it wasn t what they were looking for. However, after reviewing the geological data they are ready to try again. Using different technology, a second well is expected to be drilled later this summer. PAGE 3
Cowboys on Canvas Artist Bill Owen knows ranches of the Southwest. For some 35 years he s been painting scenes from the contemporary cowboy s way of life to record this chapter of American history. Those traveling north of Highway 89 are treated to Owen s images as he captures a moment from Babbitt Ranches. The scene is a triptych, three separate paintings that fit together to make one large image, and can be seen on a billboard about 35 miles north of Flagstaff. It is a painting of the cowboys at noon catching fresh horses to finish the day. The cowboys will get off their horses, throw each other their ropes and make a rope corral that they bring their remuda into, he says. Owen visits Babbitt Ranches six to eight times a year, has ridden with the cowboys and has documented the life of the contemporary cowboy in a book about the CO Bar. Babbitts is my favorite ranch. It s a combination of the people, the way it s run, the cowboys, the country, the livestock, the horses and the way it s all handled. They do everything the way it should be done in the tradition of how a ranch should be run. The Wickenburg artist gave the ranch permission to use the triptych. He says he has a great deal of respect for the people of Babbitt Ranches and considers it an honor to visit and paint. It is such a reward for me to have them look at that triptych, be thrilled with it and give it their stamp of approval. I want my paintings to be the measuring stick for documenting cowboys of today. Wet Year, Fat Cows After an unusually wet winter and spring, Babbitt Ranchlands are lush and full of life. This is the best rangeland we ve seen since 1999, says Babbitt Ranches Manager Victor Howell. There are a lot of orange wildflowers and green grass; the water tanks are filled up; and, the cows and wildlife are fat. The Spider Web Ranch on the CO Bar has recorded well above average rainfall since January. As a result of the flourishing range conditions, Howell says Babbitt Ranches has a good inventory of cattle for sale. This year we have 820-pounders at the end of June. Last year we were selling 600-pounders in mid-july. In addition, with a shortage of beef and prices up, Babbitt Ranches expects a very successful cattle season this year. In previous drought years, Babbitt Ranches has had to take the cattle to pastures in other states. We re really grateful for the amount of precipitation we received this year, says Howell. We never take it for granted. National Weather Service Science Officer Mike Staudenmaier says, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor a weekly map produced by the NWS along with many others organizations areas west of Winslow to California are officially out of drought conditions. People are just happy we have had a wet year to refill Lake Mary and several of the reservoirs in the area, he says. When asked about the prospects for another wet winter next year, Staudenmaier adds, Unfortunately, there s very little skill in predicting the weather far into the future unless we have a strong El Niño or La Niña and right now neither look favorable for development. A weak El Niño together with a persistent trough of low pressure over the Southwest during the winter of 2005 created the unusually wet weather. Since January, Flagstaff has received nearly 16 inches of precipitation, more than five inches above what is expected at this time of year. Staudenmaier says there is no El Niño forecast for next winter. Northern Arizona has experience drought conditions during most of the last decade. Bill Owen s art can be seen on a billboard about 35 miles north of Flagstaff. PAGE 4
Importance of Genes May Lie in the Shade of a Unique Cottonwood on the CO Bar Ranch Researchers have long observed that animals will prefer one particular plant over another in the same species. For example, herbivores such as deer and elk might find a particular clone of an aspen stand tastier than another; beavers will choose to chomp down a specific tree or clone in a cottonwood stand while leaving others alone. In the Citadel Wash that drains into the Little Colorado River, is a cottonwood stand like no other. Scientists, researching the trees with the permission of Babbitt Ranches, believe this stand may prove just how important biological diversity is right down to individual genes. Since 1978, Northern Arizona University Regents Professor in Biology Dr. Tom Whitham has been studying cottonwoods throughout the region. Together with molecular geneticist Dr. Jerry Allen and graduate student Barbara Honchak, they have found that this isolated stand of Fremont cottonwoods is genetically quite different from all the other Fremont cottonwoods, even those in nearby rivers. With a large group of colleagues, they are researching the effects of this genetic variation on a diverse ecological community including microbes, insects, birds and mammals. Even the slightest differences are important in nature says Whitham. Insects that feed on leaves will discriminate between different genotypes and nesting birds are very sensitive to the branching patterns of individual trees of the same species. In the riparian areas of the Southwest, Whitham says the cottonwood is a very important and dominant species. What may make this tree even more important is its disappearing habitat. Riparian habitat is now listed as endangered habitat type and there s only about 3 percent of what existed just 100 years ago. Along with the streams and rivers, Whitham suspects the Fremont cottonwood was once much more prominent. To lose genetic variations in this species could cause a ripple effect in the loss of the many other creatures that depend upon the genetic diversity in this species for their survival. We are trying to identify how much genetic variation exists in the isolated populations of the Fremont cottonwood throughout the West and the population in the Citadel Wash is unique, says Whitham. With encouragement from Babbitt Ranches and Wupatki National Monument, the research group has propagated 1,000 trees derived from the Citadel Wash population. These trees will be grown along the banks of the Colorado River as part of a larger riparian restoration program and a scientific experiment focused on understanding how genetic diversity in these trees affects the biodiversity of the dependent community. Babbitt Ranches has an advanced conservation ethic and has been extremely collaborative in providing us access to do our research and experiments. This has been a very positive experience and we are hoping to continue this relationship in the future, he says. The Fremont cottonwood planting project involves about 40 researchers and agencies including the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Utah Department of Natural Resources, the Oakridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, the University of Wisconsin in Madison, the NAU School of Forestry, the Arboretum at Flagstaff and the Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research. PAGE 5
AQHA Best Remuda Award Continued from the front page The first registered Babbitts stallion was Naco. Then a Waggoneer-bred stallion named Beaver was purchased in the 40s and bred to many of the mares sired by Naco. Clabber Boy was bred to the Beaver mares in the 60s and from that point on there was no reigning in the potential of the Ranch s powerful horse-breeding program. Babbitt Ranches Manager in the 40s and 50s, Frank Banks, was the man responsible for registering the mares. He had an eye for a horse that would improve the offspring and the horse-breeding program, says former Babbitts Ranches Manager Bill Howell, who took over the job in the 60s. Howell is credited for developing the herd for breeding and performance. He brought on Ginger s BarHank, Pocho, Deck of Wood and Hanks Chargin Bar. His son, Victor, took over as Ranch manger in the early 90s and introduced Proud Gun, Frosty Gold Knight, Cowboy Wood and Cowboy Drift to the Ranch. Today, these stallions are seen as the right kind of breeding prospects to compliment the famous Driftwood lineage. With 7,800 head of cattle, 80 saddle horses, 60 brood mares and six studs, Babbitt Ranches has definite goals for its remuda program. Plans include continuing the production of premium quality American Quarter Horses for ranch work and rodeo competition, along with affordable opportunities for colt and filly buyers. Babbitt Ranches also strives to promote herd health, keep up on horse training methods and maintain complete records of the remuda offspring. The Ranches traditionally have been focused on producing Hereford livestock. Bolting from this need to provide the best quality horses for the cowboys to ride and to work the cattle is the award-winning American Quarter Horse breeding program. PAGE 6 Babbitt horses have won a number of competitions. In 1994, 96 and 97 the allaround champion at the State High School Finals was riding Babbitt Ranches raised horses. In 98, Babbitt cowboys took home first and second place in the state s first Working Ranch Horse Competition and in 2001, Babbitt Ranches horses placed first and second in the same competition. Two years ago, Babbitt cowboys won the WRCA ranch rodeo, riding Babbitt Ranches horses, which qualified them for the World Championship Ranch Rodeo. The owners and employees care deeply about the lands they are responsible for and are as deeply committed to developing the Hereford cattle and American Quarter Horses, says Victor Howell. Frosty Gold Knight Colt Sale Continued from the front page Babbitt Ranches is planning for more than 350 people. Spider Web is close to Flagstaff and easy to get to. We expect that the publicity from the American Quarter Horse Association s Best Remuda Award will bring more people out, says Babbitt Ranches Manager Victor Howell. Some 36 colts are up for sale, all registered with the AQHA, from such famous Hashknife bloodlines as Driftwood, Sun Frost and War Concho. Howell says the colts average $2,000 each, but there likely will be some good buys around $1,000. Hashknife horses are known for their speed, looks, ability, disposition and cow sense. The Spider Web Ranch is located east at mile marker 450 from Highway 89, about a mile down a dirt road.
NAU Tackles Complexity of Family Businesses They are typically more profitable and undeniably more complicated say the experts who study family-owned businesses. And, because an estimated 70 percent of the country s and 95 percent of Flagstaff s businesses are family-owned, Northern Arizona University has added a half-day forum on family business issues to its schedule. Family businesses need the most help, says NAU s Director of the Center for Business Outreach Wayne Fox. Family dynamics are different from a standard corporate structure or even partnerships, particularly with second and third generations dealing with succession and ownership issues. Owner Managed Business Institute Managing Director Alan Heath is a facilitator at the Families in Business Course at Harvard Business School and works with Babbitt Ranches. He says families should constantly be asking if the business is right for the family and if the family is right for the business. They must also be aware of the challenges presented by the fact that families grow faster than businesses. Families have emotional issues that can impact the business, says Heath. The rights, roles and responsibilities need Continued on page 8 Knowledge to Flow from San Juan River Program What better way to get to know and understand the Colorado Plateau than to explore it with researchers, students, artists, land managers and professors in a relaxing setting like a San Juan River float? The Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Program and Foundation, created by Babbitt Ranches to better understand the Colorado Plateau, has teamed up with Arizona River Adventures and Northern Arizona U n i v e r s i t y Outdoors to put together river trips that will set the stage for learning and dialogue on the San Juan. The San Juan Program itself reflects the fundamental values of the EMA Program, says EMA Foundation Vice President and Program Director Karan English. Babbitt Ranches developed this philosophy that you learn more by going out in the field and from each other as we bridge our knowledge in an interdisciplinary approach. Every school at NAU will be able to connect with the San Juan Program. English says it s a natural fit for so many disciplines such as liberal arts, music, photography, math, anthropology, archaeology and other sciences. Earlier this year, AZRA gave NAU the gift of San Juan River permits and equipment to cover 50 trips a summer. This is an e x t r e m e l y g e n e r o u s gift enabling the San Juan P r o g r a m, truly a landmark project. I do not believe there is any other university in this country that has an opportunity like this to study and apply knowledge from the field, says English. EMA s fundamental mission is to gather and share scientific ecological information that can be applied on the land by private landowners, land managers, researchers and scientists. EMA was created when Babbitt Ranches gave 20 acres of land north of Flagstaff to NAU for research and applied science purposes. Besides the San Juan Program, other projects include alternative energy studies and grassland research. What EMA and Babbitt Ranches are doing is so fundamental to what we owe the next generation, says English. PAGE 7
Stealing a Moment in Babbitt History The Babbitts have long been regarded as about the finest people who came into Flagstaff and that was fortunate for cattle rustlers who got caught. Stealing cattle was a hanging crime and it was a well-known fact that there was a lot of rustling going on in the first part of the 20th century. Apparently it was an easy crime to commit in those days as there were no fences and the cattle from different operations would be mixing with each other. Often cattle would be stolen, re-branded and sold. Reportedly, the Babbitts were soft-hearted. About the worst the Babbitts would do was scare a rustler to keep him from stealing again or fire a rustler if he was working for them. Longtime Babbitt friend and observer Emmett Kellam said, They wouldn t try to send you to the penitentiary. They didn t try to jail you. They fired you and got you off the job. Usually, they hated to fire you. There are stories that the Babbitts were so forgiving that even some folks who had been caught stealing a beef would eventually end up working for them. Emmett tells the story of a man who stole a registered bull right out of a Babbitts corral. Officers caught the man with the bull and put him in jail. The suspected thief called Billy Babbitt from jail and Billy posted his bail, that after having him arrested in the first place! No legal action was ever taken against the man, the whole episode was meant to scare him a little and to keep him from doing it again. Savor the Flavor of the Old West For a nostalgic meal or western-themed party, the CO Bar Ranch Cookbook holds a chuck wagonful of dishes guaranteed to please even the most difficult cowboys. Try some Babbitt Ranch Beef Brisket with Cowboy Beans, Cataract Ranch White Bread and a little Spider Web Fudge. The recipes are a collection of ranch family favorites provided by past and present Babbitt Ranch employees. Pick up a free cookbook at the Babbitt Ranches office or call 928/774-6199. NAU Tackles Complexity of Family Businesses Continued from page 7 to be spelled out on the family side just as they are on the business side. The biggest challenge in family-owned businesses, say the experts, is to get the family to plan for the future. Families planning for succession in management and ownership should have a 10- to 15-year horizon and have something in place before they expect to need it, says Heath. The Family Business Forum offered at NAU last fall addressed succession, job responsibilities, conflict resolution and strategic planning. Fox says it was attended by more than 50 people and he expects one or two similar half-day forums to be scheduled each year. The Babbitts are passionate about family businesses and how they are different from other businesses. They approached us about the idea of a course on family business issues and there seems to be a need for it. PAGE 8