Four Generations on the Ground: Espinosa family carries on ranching legacy near Lander

For Clay and Sally Espinosa, ranching isn’t just a livelihood – it’s a family tradition. As third-generation ranchers near Lander, the couple raises cattle and hay, as well as the family’s fourth generation – their five-year-old daughter Kasey and their son Clancy, who will celebrate his first birthday in October. 

Sally’s grandfather Stan Hovendick bought the place in the early 1990s, and Clay and Sally took over operations after they were married in 2017. 

“We bought into partnership with Sally’s father on the cattle company, and we also run about 150 cows of our own,” Clay says. 

Raising tough cattle

Today, the ranch’s herd is made up of Black Angus cattle, run on the homeplace in Lander and summered on South Pass. 

Each year, the family keeps 80 to 100 replacement heifers to maintain a productive herd.

“We do a good job of keeping the herd current and productive, getting rid of any old cows or cripples,” Clay explains. “Right now, we are just maintaining our numbers, though we have aspirations of growing the herd.”  

Clay notes he is in the business of raising tough cattle, and while some ranchers run their heifers on “easier country,” he believes it spoils them.

“Heifers make better cows if they are kept where they are going to be for the rest of their life,” he says.  

The couple calves at the end of January and into early February, and because this time of year is so cold, Clay says most of their calving is done in the barn.   

“We like to calve this early because our breed-up is a lot better here at home where we can turn bulls out before the cattle go to summer range,” Clay says. “We have the cows down low in April and May on the homeplace for breeding.”   

The family holds two or three brandings before pairs head to the mountain in early June. They return in mid-October when the weather turns and grass runs out at higher elevations.

While horses remain essential for calving and other cow work, Clay states the rugged terrain of Fremont County means motorbikes and ATVs are part of the program as well. 

“I love the horses and there are places only a horse can go, but our range is big enough we don’t always want to ride a horse for miles just to get up there,” he states.   

Making ends meet

In addition to raising tough cattle, the Espinosa family also raises their own grass and alfalfa hay. 

“We are trying to put up our second cutting right now in between inclement weather and mechanical breakdowns,” Clay notes. 

Like many ranchers, Clay balances ranch work with outside work, helping his father and uncle with their concrete company in Lander. 

“I grew up working in the concrete business, but my heart has always been with the cattle,” he says. “I still help my dad and uncle when I can, but I spend more than half of my time on the ranch. We are trying to get things paid off and make ends meet.” 

“It’s an unfortunate reality,” he continues. “I don’t mind the concrete work, though it’s hard physically. Hopefully within the next few years I won’t have to do it anymore. The cattle prices today are helping, but we can’t rely on good prices forever.” 

Promoting youth in agriculture

Despite this, Clay and Sally remain optimistic about the future of ag.

One of Clay’s passions is encouraging youth to be more involved in the industry.  

He notes the average age of U.S. farmers and ranchers today is 67 years old, so there is an urgent need for more young producers.

In his role as president of the Fremont County Cattlemen’s Association – his second year on the job – Clay is focused on promoting youth.

The association hosts a show at the local county fair for animals specifically born and raised within the borders of Fremont County. 

“Participants have to weigh the animals in February and keep records until the sale at county fair. They can show a steer or a heifer. If the animal was born in Fremont County and has a Fremont County brand, it can be shown in our contest,” Clay explains. “This is one way we are promoting local agriculture.” 

The association also hosts a two-phase commercial cow contest, where youth track the progress of a bred heifer, then return the following year with the cow and her calf.

“This is our way of promoting local agriculture and the responsibility of record keeping, which can help these kids later in life,” Clay says.

Heather Smith Thomas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.