Ingalls Angus: Jasper and Ronja Ingalls family advance seven-generation legacy

As one of the oldest continuous registered herds in the nation, Ingalls Angus represents more than 130 years of breeding registered Angus cattle as members of the American Angus Association (AAA).

Jasper and Ronja Ingalls are carrying on this tradition with their operation near Pavillion, and their three children – Josephine, Laura and Duke – are the seventh generation to carry on the family’s ranching legacy.

History of Ingalls Angus

The Ingalls Angus legacy began in 1894 with James L. Ingalls. James became a member of AAA 11 years after it was founded, and he began raising registered Angus in South Dakota. 

The Ingalls family expanded and continued to raise cattle in South Dakota throughout the next century, developing their breeding stock through a series of tests and data collection foundational to the expected progeny difference (EPD) system which continues to advance the Angus breed as a whole today. 

“My grandpa was collecting data on his herd before AAA even had a way to report it,” Jasper notes. “As far as weaning weights and yearling weights, our family was one of the first producers to turn data in, which is where the EPDs came from.”

In 1990, the Ingalls herd moved west to Wyoming, and Jasper’s father Dan Ingalls established a branch called Ingalls and Sons Angus. 

Jasper spent much of his childhood horseback alongside his five brothers, summering cattle in the mountains of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, which exceeds 10,000 feet in elevation. He received his first registered heifer calf from his grandfather Hugh when he was seven years old. 

Hugh passed away earlier this year at the age of 94, and Dan has mostly retired from the cattle business but continues to influence the Angus breed in Mexico with Ingalls Angus genetics. 

Jasper and his brother Spencer are advancing the Ingalls Angus legacy with their families and respective operations in Wyoming and North Dakota. 

Family business

Today, Jasper and Ronja oversee their own branch of the Ingalls Angus operation. The couple met in Riverton during Ronja’s time as a foreign exchange student and were married in 2006. 

Originally from Germany, Ronja says there was a learning curve involved with getting into the cattle business, but today she can’t imagine her life any differently.

“It was all new to me,” Ronja recalls. “I didn’t know anything about cows. But I really enjoy it, and the longer we’re in it the more I love it.” 

Jasper spent a few years working in the oilfield before getting back into the cattle business full time in 2016. Along with their three children, the Ingalls run registered and commercial Angus on their ranch near Pavillion.

In the summer, cattle are turned out in the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains at 8,600 feet in elevation.

Cattle are primarily sold via private treaty with relationships developed upon a reputation of delivering quality livestock. Jasper and Ronja also held their First Annual Bull and Female Sale in 2025 and are planning another on Jan. 15, 2026. 

“Our customer has to stay profitable for us to stay profitable,” Jasper says. “We focus on making our customer profitable and try to steer them in the right direction if they ever have questions.”

The Ingalls raise “realistic and functional cattle” that are able to thrive at high elevations and “travel big country.” In bulls and cows alike, fertility is the program’s top priority. 

Genetics have been passed down through the generations, since Jasper purchased several of their cows and bulls from his dad and granddad’s former herds.

“It’s always nice to bring back those genetics from years past and see them continue to work in today’s world with artificial insemination and embryo transfer,” Jasper says.

Data-driven genetics

For the Ingalls, data-driven records are a crucial component of maintaining quality in their herd. They collect data in several categories to ensure sound and proven genetics, in addition to pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) testing to track efficiency at high elevations. 

Data is collected on every animal – including the culls – to ensure quality across the board.

“A lot of people only PAP test the bulls they’re selling, but we test everything,” Jasper says. “We want the data for ourselves so we can know what’s working and what isn’t.” 

Earlier this spring, their registered replacement heifers displayed a 100 percent breed-up rate – proof of a strong genetics program in action. 

Jasper and Ronja also invested in a series of 701x Smart Tags before sending their herd to the Big Horns for the summer. The solar-powered tags connect to a smartphone app and are enabled with a variety of features from GPS tracking and activity alerts to record data.

The Ingalls note technology improves efficiency and profitability and is therefore well worth the investment. They are embracing methods to ensure the ranch continues to be productive and profitable for their children. 

“There’s room for a little bit of doing things the old way, but you’ve got to go with the times,” Ronja says. “It’s the world we live in, and you might as well take advantage.”

Continuing the legacy

Jasper and Ronja have worked hard to provide a path for their three children to continue the legacy of Ingalls Angus.

“The best part about this lifestyle is doing it as a family and getting the next generation to love it like we do,” says Ronja. “We definitely have the next generation falling into place, and we’re really excited about it as parents.”

Josephine, Laura and Duke are actively involved in all aspects of the ranch. 

From hands-on help with PAP testing and calving, to spending summers turning out cows in the mountains like their father did, the Ingalls children are learning the techniques and work ethic it will take to continue the herd for generations to come. 

“It’s exciting for us to think our kids will take this over,” Ronja says. “It is quite a legacy, and our kids are already stepping into it.”

For now, Jasper and Ronja are committed to continuing to grow their operation, raising and marketing quality Angus cattle while bringing up their children.

“It’s hard to call it work,” Jasper says.

“We love it. We’re going to be doing this forever,” Ronja continues. 

For more information, visit @IngallsAngus/BigWestLand&CattleInc on Facebook or e-mail Jasper at jasper@bigwest.com.

Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.