Continuing a Ranch Legacy

YP Ranch’s cowboy crew prepares for spring branding

By Dianna Troyer

While April’s intermittent rain and snow pelt northern Nevada’s high desert YP Ranch, John and Renee Jackson are tackling the logistics of their upcoming spring branding season.

They coordinate with Cow Boss Frank Dominguez and his Jigger Boss Jackson Wald, who lead the cowboy crew at the ranch headquarters roughly 90 miles north of Elko near Tuscarora.

“We’re all busy organizing supplies and planning where a crew of 10-plus buckaroos will camp for three-plus weeks starting in mid-May,” Renee says.

With the ranch straddling the Idaho/Nevada border, the most efficient way to brand calves is to do it “just like the cowboys did in the early days—camping out and staying close to the next day’s branding circle with teepees and sheep wagons,” Renee says.

Last fall, Renee and the ranch’s historic branding routine were featured on RFD-TV’s show, “RanchHER.” Clips are still available on social media. Last spring, Renee and the ranch were also highlighted when the Elko County CattleWomen named her Mother of the Year.

Renee says the attention gives her an opportunity to share the historic ranch’s origins and showcase the lifestyle and livelihood her family loves—raising beef cattle as a delicious and nutritious source of protein and living in a remote and scenic landscape.

“Spring is my favorite time of the year,” she says. “We turn cows out on the desert and mountain starting in mid-March to calve on their own. Being at 6,000 feet, April can still be cold. Then by mid-May, the range and roads usually have dried out enough that we can get around and start gathering pairs to brand calves. Sometime in June, we’ll get to branding the mountain calves, which are typically bigger than the desert calves.”

Their goal is to brand 200 to 300 calves daily. The Jacksons primarily raise Angus crossbred cattle with Hereford and Simmental influence and brand during spring and fall.

“I absolutely love our spring branding,” Renee says. “Going on the wagon is a huge highlight every year. Most days, we set up a horseshoe-shaped trap in a new location. The calves are feeling good, and the wildflowers are amazing. Every day is a new adventure.”

Branding That Stands the Test of Time

Working their way across the range to gather and brand calves is a longtime tradition at YP, Renee says.

John’s grandparents, C.H. “Pete” and Ann Jackson, bought the ranch in 1939. Adding to the YP title, they christened their enterprise with a combination of their first names to create the YP Ranch/Petan Co.

The YP brand originated with the ranch’s founders Juan and Grace Garat, who left the French Basque Country for California during the Gold Rush. It is the third-oldest continuously used brand in the United States registered with the United States Patent Office.

The Garats used the brand in 1852 in the San Joaquin Valley and brought it with them in 1874 while looking for a less crowded cattle range. Juan and their two sons trailed about 1,000 head of cattle to the present ranch site. The Garats’ original home on the site is now used as the ranch headquarters.

Pete and Ann’s youngest son, also named Pete, and his wife, Nancy, moved to the ranch in 1994. The ranch was honored with the Nelo Mori Heritage Ranching Award by the Western States Ranch Rodeo Association for the family’s devotion to their land and livestock.

Renee met John, Pete and Nancy’s son, while they were on the rodeo team at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. John rode broncs, and Renee ran barrels. At the West Hills Rodeo, they got to know each other behind the bucking chutes. A fifth-generation rancher, Renee grew up on a cattle and sheep ranch in northern California near Ferndale.

In 1988, they married and moved to the YP Ranch, where John became the general manager. He and Renee are partners, and their children, Danielle, Jessica and Russ, are all part of operations.

“The biggest blessing is to have all three kids choosing to come back to the ranch to live and raise their families here in the cowboy lifestyle,” Renee says.

Danielle works as the office manager while her husband, Kade Sayler, supervises ranch crews. Jessica is a licensed vet tech and housing supervisor. Russ and his wife, Abby, work and live on the ranch where he fills many roles: cowboy, feeder and jack-of-all-trades.

Danielle says she and her siblings are thankful their parents instilled in them a love of the ranch and included them in meetings and activities growing up.

“Mom has always approached life with her positive all-in attitude and high energy,” she says. “She’s always been grateful for family, friends and faith, along with good horses and dogs.”

Becoming Self-reliant

Living at the ranch, a two-hour drive from Elko, encourages the Jacksons and their employees to be self-reliant.

“Thankfully, John and our son-in-law are pretty mechanical and fix just about anything from equipment and machinery to furnaces and home plumbing,” Renee says. “Our cowboy crew is so talented. Some make saddles, others braid rawhide and make reins and whatever tack they need, and start colts.”

During summer, the family takes a break, celebrating the Fourth of July with a trip to the mountain behind their homes. It’s also the birthday of John’s grandmother, Ann.

“We take our side-by-sides, a picnic lunch and lots of pictures,” Renee says. “We always have a wonderful day exploring and being in awe of God’s creation and the beauty of the mountains and wildlife.”

To relax, Renee says she enjoys her grandchildren, ranch horse shows and rodeos.

“The best thing about ranch life is the freedom and bond of a tight family and crew,” she says. “Our family is proud of producing some of the best-tasting meat for consumers. To do that, we rely on keeping the grass in the best possible shape with responsible grazing. We love our cattle and treat them well—right down to the leppy calves. This lifestyle allows us to do what we’re meant to do. With good stewardship, hard work and perseverance, the ranch will continue for generations.”