Cheyenne Young Graduate Student – Class of 2027 Growing up on a large cattle ranch in north-eastern Utah, Young has always had a heart for agriculture and ranching. She began growing her own herd of cattle at fifteen through a youth loan offered by Farm Service Agency and gained further hands-on experience working as a ranch hand at Ensign Ranches. After …
Cooper Larson
Cooper Larson Graduate Student – Class of 2027 Raised on his family’s small farm in northern Idaho, Larson has been around agriculture his entire life; however, team sports were his first passion, specifically, baseball. He continued playing baseball into college in Walla Walla, Washington before transferring to the Univeristy of Wyoming where he completed his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. …
Salvetti D’Ascoli
Salvetti D’Ascoli Graduate Student – Class of 2027 D’Ascoli was raised in Arvada, Colorado and attended Colorado State University (CSU) where he pursued a dual major in animal science, with a focus on beef and feedlot production systems, and agricultural business. During his time at CSU he became involved in various clubs and organizations such as Alpha Gamma Rho, Collegiate …
Ben Wurz
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 …
Carson King
Raised in Dillon, Montana on a cow-calf stocker operation, King has been involved in ranching his entire life. Every summer he and his brothers worked on the ranch alongside their father. “The ranch facilitated a place to learn and grow in an environment that was challenging. As the ranch strived for perfection in a sustainable way, we were able to …
Mason Dahl
Dahl is a proud, seventh-generation American cattleman. He was born into the ranching lifestyle; “My dad did turn-around business for ranching and developed a three-year, three-phase program to accomplish that. As a result, my childhood and teenage years were spent in various parts of Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Utah and Oregon.” From a young age he was exposed to different operation …
Paul Quin
Quin was born and raised in the horse country of Pilot Point, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Rangeland Ecology and Management with a minor in Soil and Forage Sciences. Throughout college he had developed a strong passion for learning and understanding the ecology of grassland environments which ultimately led him to …
Seb Killpack
Raised in southeastern Idaho, Killpack grew up working with his parents and neighbors at local small farms and ranches and competing in roping events. While pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering Technology at BYU-Idaho, Killpack worked multiple jobs for local ranches gaining experience in the cow-calf and feedlot sectors as well as farming. After earning his degree in the …
Nate Edwards
Edwards was raised in Oologah, Oklahoma. His passion for ranching began working with family on his grandparents’ cow-calf operation. While earning his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with a minor in Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University, he had the opportunity to work outside the classroom on a cow-calf operation and feedlot/bull test station further expanding his knowledge and …
KRIRM Announces the Departure of Dr. Clay Mathis
Dr. Clay Mathis, Director of King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management, to Become the Department Head for Animal Science at Texas A&M University in College Station Kingsville, Texas – The King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management (KRIRM) announces the departure of Dr. Clay Mathis, Director and Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Endowed Chair. Dr. Mathis has accepted …
Case Study: Identification of Federal and State Assistance Programs with Potential Utility for Ranchers
INTRODUCTION Many of the historical southern Texas Panhandle ranches were established in the late 1800’s. With a long-standing commitment to western heritage, they embody ranching traditions, with a focus on raising high quality cattle and working ranch horses. The host ranch of this case study consists of native rangeland with no cultivated ground. Important landowner considerations include natural resource management …
Class of 2023 Shares Lessons Learned and Insights Gained
With exposure to diverse operations across the country, networking with professionals, and classroom learning, KRIRM students embrace the opportunity to learn more about current challenges facing the industry. As the graduating class of 2023 prepares to return to the workforce, they share some of the biggest challenges they have noticed and potential solutions going forward. The class of 2023 includes …


