Matador Ranch has a long history in the cattle and horse business. Our goal, much like those who originally ranched on these lands, is to produce consistent, high-quality beef for consumers and raise horses that work from sun up to sun down and do it safely.

For those who may not know, this ranch, which is owned by a subsidiary of Koch Industries, Inc., has a long a storied history prior to its current ownership. In December 1882, Matador Land and Cattle Company was formed by Scottish investors who acquired 1.5 million deeded acres and 1 million acres of open range in Motley, Floyd, Dickens and Cottle counties for $1.25 million. In 1951, the company, which then owned about 800,000 acres, was sold to Lazard Freres and Company of London for about $18.9 million. That land was sub-divided into smaller parcels for sale. 

On Oct. 3, 1952, Fred C. Koch, co-founder of what has become Koch Industries, Inc., formed The Matador Cattle Company. In early 1953, a company owned by Koch acquired three parcels of the Matador, which was joined with other Koch-operated ranches in Montana and Kansas. The Kansas ranch is known as Spring Creek and lies in the Flint Hills. The Montana ranch, Beaverhead, is sited on the Western edge of Yellowstone National Park. In total, the three ranches cover about 440,000 acres.

Mr. Koch was an avid outdoorsman and he was keenly interested in introducing new and improved grasses on this ranch and managing brush. Today, we continue to strive to manage our brush to improve cattle grazing and wildlife habitat.
 
Meet the team who strives to work safely and in an environmentally responsible manner:
 
Our team includes
 
J.D. Russell started his career with Koch companies here at the Matador in 1987; he then worked in Koch Beef Company's feedlot business prior to it being sold before returning to Matador in 1994.  He has been a campman at Wolfcreek, Russellville and Headquarters and is now assistant manager of the Matador Ranch.  He is married to D'Anna and they have two grown children, Colton and Shane'a. 

 

Tim Washington started as a part-time employee and then came on full time in 1993.  He currently manages the Russellville area.  Tim is married to Deana and they have two grown children and five grandchildren who lovingly call Tim "Picapaw."
 

Gilbert Guerrero also started as a day worker in 1997 and came on full time to manage the Wolfcreek area.  Gilbert and his wife, Zacha have two girls, Sage and Tatum. Not only is Gilbert a cowboy, he has plumbed several water lines that run through the ranch and patched a wall in the office - using Georgia-Pacific products, of course.
 
Mickey Beshirs has worked with the Matador team for the last year and a half and has taken care of the Headquarters area.  He and his family will soon move to the Lucky Knob camp.  He is married to Kassi and they have two sons, Kyler and Rylynn, who was born in September. Five-year-old Kyler has the best horse on the ranch: Geraldine. Kyler also is pretty particular about who rides Geraldine - he has refused to loan her out to any of the cowboy crew.

Kris Wilson began day working for us last October as a break from his job as a professor of equine science at Texas Tech University.  He came to work for us full time this past summer and has the duties of seeing over the Headquarters area. His expertise is being used widely from animal nutrition to equine management.  Kris is married to Cara and they recently moved to Matador.

Janie Campbell is the office manager for the Matador. She also helps out with hunting and lodge businesses and has been with the ranch since 1997. She and her husband Douglas have three daughters and one grandson.
 

 

 

 

 

Bob Kilmer is ranch manager, and has worked at the Montana ranch as well as at corporate headquarters in Wichita, Kan. In addition, he spent time within the feedlot business prior to it being sold. Bob joined the company in 1976. He and his wife Wanda have two daughters and two grandchildren.
 
We also call on a number of spouses and children to help during our busiest times - along with a few dayworkers who have been with us for many years. One of those day workers is Jim Cross, a former Matador Ranch manager, who retired from the company in 1994 with 40 years of service. He was originally hired by Fred Koch, and worked on Koch ranches in Texas, Kansas, Nevada and Montana.

 

Congratulations to Jerry Smith on his retirement after 11 1/2 years of service on the Matador Ranch, where he had looked after the Lucky Knob camp.  Jerry and his wife, Sandra were honored with a barbeque at headquarters earlier this month.  Good luck, Jerry!