Wurz grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado surrounded by agriculture but not directly involved in the industry. “I always have a hard time answering what made me interested in the cattle business,” states Wurz. “I often joke that it boils down to ‘I like cows.’” He decided to further lean into his interest earning a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with a minor in Agricultural Economics at Colorado State University in 2014. However, it wasn’t until he began cowboying post-graduation on a range cow operation in Southeast Wyoming that he truly realized his desire to follow a career path in ranch management. “The ranch was very well-run and the manager has continued to be a mentor to me throughout my career,” reflects Wurz. From that experience he progressed on to a herdsman position on a registered Angus operation near Livermore, Colorado, a foreman for Lasater Beefmaster in Matheson, Colorado and finally a herdsman/permit rider and later cowboss on a high-altitude cow-calf and backgrounding operation in Monte Vista, Colorado where he worked since 2018.
Wurz came across KRIRM while attending a National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention during undergrad. “After watching some mentors get passed over for upper-level jobs as they aged, I decided the Institute would be a good long-term investment for my career,” he states. Over the next two years he hopes to become a more well-rounded manager enhancing his financial skills while also making the most of his experience learning from those around him and gaining an extended professional network. Long-term his goal is to be a working manager for an operation that allows him the ability to integrate his passion for breeding and genetics. “As I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve realized that I would prefer to do any job from a horse and that I seem to be drawn to the mountains and the desert,” he states.
Wurz has relocated to Kingsville, TX with his partner Rebecca, a sixth-grade teacher.
Wurz holds the Four Sixes Ranch Endowed Fellowship as a graduate student at KRIRM.