Brand
Of Athlete

The ranch is located on the Cheyenne River in north-east Wyoming thirty miles south of Newcastle on Highway 85. The Wilsons raise Angus cattle and performance Quarter Horses on the ranch that Clara's grandparents bought in 1908. They have been breeding Quarter Horses since the early '60's.

Daughter Lonnie and husband Ty Farella live north of Newcastle about 45 miles away, as does grandson Billy. Ty is now working for Rockwell but still team ropes when he gets a chance. Lonnie and Billy help with the ranch work. She jockies the barrel horses and Billy, almost 8, enjoys the gymkhanas and junior horse shows.

Rodeo has been a big part of all their lives, high school, college and professional. Fred and Clara both have PRCA Gold cards. Lonnie has qualified for the Mountain States Circuit finals eight times and National Circuit Finals twice. Fred was named an AQHA Director-At-Large in 1996, having represented Wyoming as a director for 25 years. Formerly he was an NCHA and AQHA judge. Clara served as a WPRA director for 8 years.

Several performance AQHA Register of Merit earners in nine events have been produced at the ranch, as well as a few race horses. A horse Freed Headed on for several years also qualified as an AQHA Champion. Gusti Buerger showed a mare to 2005 NRCHA Champion Youth Bridle Horse and TJ Good was a finalist in the 2007 World's Greatest Horseman on her. Troy Hayden was on the 2005 USTPA Champion team in 2005 riding a mare he had also placed on in snaffle bit futurities in South Dakota, Montana and Colorado.

Wanda Brown's gelding went to the Badlands Circuit Finals many times and the National Circuit Finals twice. He was also a full-brother to an AQHA Superior barrel horse and Rory Brown's Badlands Circuit heel horse. Several money winning futurity horses have came from the Wilson Ranch, some going on to run with "big dogs" in professional rodeo.