In the high desert of southern New Mexico sits a cattle ranch with a story stretching back more than a century. Covering 45,000 acres of arid rangeland, the Bar W Ranch in Carrizozo has evolved over the years, blending tradition with innovation.
Today, it thrives under the partnership of ranch owner Stirling Spencer, and ranch foreman Kendal Wilson, who together have built a herd of Red Angus cattle uniquely suited to the desert landscape.
From bookkeeper to ranching dynasty
The Bar W Ranch traces back to the 1880s when William C. McDonald arrived in Lincoln County as a bookkeeper for the El Captain Land and Cattle Co. Ambitious and determined, McDonald gradually acquired the Block Ranch by 1908. A year later, he established his own operation under the “Bar W” brand, purchasing the Carrizozo property for $250,000.
McDonald became the first governor of New Mexico in 1912. As politics pulled him away, he hired bookkeeper Truman Spencer, who later married McDonald’s daughter, Frances, and assumed ownership of the ranch. By 1948, Spencer sold the Block Ranch for $1 million but retained the Bar W Ranch and divided it among his children.
Decades later, his grandson, Stirling Spencer, purchased his parents’ one-third share of the ranch and spent the next 20 years acquiring the remaining shares.
Two paths, one ranch
Before returning to the ranch, Spencer built a successful career in chemical engineering, rising to chief engineer of an international company.
“I never thought I’d get back in the ranching business,” Spencer said. “I was a chemical engineer by education and trade, but I came back to help my dad. And because of the slim margins in the ranching business at the time, I said, ‘I either have to figure out how to buy this from you or go back to engineering where I can make a living to at least eat something.’”
While Spencer was shaping the herd with genetics and management systems, a 12-year-old boy named Kendal Wilson arrived at the Bar W Ranch to work horses. Neither could have guessed the future that awaited them.
As a sixth-generation rancher, Wilson was eager to work. What started as an after-school job training horses and working cattle soon grew into much more.
“I worked with him all the way through college,” Wilson said. “In my spare time when I wasn’t in class, I would drive back to the ranch and work. That turned into a full-time job, which turned into me being fortunate enough to lease the ranch.”
Over the years, Wilson became more than a ranch hand. Today, he oversees the day-to-day operations of the ranch, from breeding and marketing decisions to managing cattle across the high desert, carrying both the legacy of his own family and the responsibility of the Bar W Ranch forward.
Spencer remains invested in the ranch, but the cattleman’s hat rests firmly on Wilson’s head.
“The kid is phenomenal,” Spencer said. “He’s a cowboy and can do anything cowboys do, but he’s also a cattleman.”
The path to Red Angus
Spencer’s engineering background ultimately led them to the Red Angus breed. After trying four or five other breeds, he found Red Angus offered the efficiency and resilience needed to thrive in the desert climate.
“You have to make sure cattle match the environment,” Spencer said. “You can’t put animals on a forage base or arid base that don’t fit. It’s just not going to work. There were genetic standards the ranch needed to meet to satisfy what the consumer was looking for. And the consumer is looking for tenderness, taste and high-quality beef.”
Spencer’s focus wasn’t just on the breed itself, but on the genetics he could bring to the ranch. He traveled extensively across the country to select top-quality Red Angus bulls, paying well above market value to secure livestock with superior EPDs.
“I went from southern Missouri to northern Montana buying bulls, paying 50% more or 100% more than other people were paying for bulls,” Spencer said. “But I was looking for bulls with high-quality EPDs that were in the top 10% or better to start changing the herd.”
Wilson saw the impact firsthand.
“I’ve seen the breeding program become much more focused on quality over quantity,” Wilson said. “We’ve really seen the performance of the calves increase greatly, and understanding the location we’re in and the environmental conditions we run cattle in has been crucial.”
The shift to Red Angus genetics came in 2011 after prolonged drought and freezing conditions devastated pasture grasses. The ranch was forced to reduce herd numbers, but created an opportunity to rebuild exclusively with Red Angus cattle.
“Because we’re in the high-desert environment, we were trying to get cattle that were more heat tolerant and would perform better in the heat,” Wilson said.
Success measured in rain
Despite careful planning, the success of the Bar W Ranch often comes down to one uncontrollable factor—rain.
“We’re high desert. We range from some desert conditions to some low-mountain conditions. Drought’s what’s really affecting us,” Wilson said.
Rainfall has been scarce in recent years.
“Last year we got about 2 inches of rain for the year, and we typically need 9 to 12 inches to kind of be normal,” Wilson said. “We probably haven’t gotten over 5 inches in the last six years.”
Drought, more than high-input costs, remains their biggest challenge.
“Drought is by far the biggest challenge for us,” Wilson said. “We’ve overcome that in some ways by reducing the cow herd and taking some pressure off the land, but we can only go so far without really giving up the business side of the ranch.”
Compared to ranchers in other regions, their struggles are severe.
“Severe is not an overstatement at all,” Wilson said. “It’s eye-opening to visit with ranchers in Texas or other states and realize how different their idea of a drought is compared to what we face here.”
Through it all, the Red Angus herd has proven remarkably resilient.
“Red Angus do pretty dang good in a drought,” Spencer said. “I’m amazed at what they can do.”
A year on the ranch
At Bar W Ranch, the calendar isn’t marked by holidays but by cattle work.
“We calve at the first of March and calve out the herd entirely within 45 to 60 days,” Wilson said. “After that, we brand.”
During spring brandings, calves are gathered, branded, vaccinated and castrated, and genomic DNA tests are performed on the heifers.
“Our brandings run through the summer, and then in the fall, we’ll give our pre-weaning vaccinations,” Wilson said. “In October, we’ll give another set of weaning vaccinations and wean the calves so the cow herd is divided up into five different sub-herds within the ranch.”
At this point, Wilson will begin consolidating calves into contemporary groups of steers and heifers or into load lots.
“That’s when we’ll also select our replacement heifers as we run them through the chute,” Wilson said. “If they fit our data, we’ll go ahead and put an ear tag in. Then throughout the fall, we’ll monitor them to make sure they check the boxes for everything we desire in our replacement females.”
By November, steers are shipped out, marking the culmination of a year’s hard work.
“My proudest moment as a cattleman happens every year when we ship steers out,” Wilson said. “It’s watching all the hard work that we’ve put into these cattle for so long. We’ve had expectations for them since they hit the ground in March, and now I get to see something concrete.”
Red Angus genetics
Wilson and Spencer use DNA testing, EPDs and carcass data to help them make informed breeding decisions.
“We track all aspects of the data, both carcass and performance,” Wilson said. “We’re watching our trends, both positive and negative. That data, coupled with genomic numbers, helps us target the traits we need to improve.”
To complement their genetic approach, the Bar W Ranch participates in value-added programs, including RAAA’s Angus Access.
“We enroll our steers in Angus Access every year,” Wilson said. “It adds value and traceability, which is important to buyers and the market long-term.”
A ranch built to last
For Wilson, the ranch isn’t just a workplace; it’s home for his wife and four children. It’s not unusual to find his three oldest riding alongside him in the pickup, helping feed cattle or fix fences.
“I want to teach my family the value of hard work, the value of the land and what it means to be a good steward,” Wilson said. “I’d like to teach them to have a heart for animals and be mindful of what we’ve been blessed to steward and care for.”
Ranching is about purpose for Wilson.
“Being a cattleman means we hold the well-being of the cattle above anything else,” Wilson said. “We’re always striving for the best. We want to be proud of the product we’re raising.”
For Spencer, the ranch represents freedom.
“When I grew up on this ranch, I dug post holes, built fences and broke horses; that was it. After college, I left, paid my own way, joined the Army and didn’t plan to come back. But working in the real world as a chemical engineer, I realized how restricted you are in most careers,” Spencer said. “Ranching may not be the most lucrative path, but it gives me freedom—the freedom to make choices for myself, even if those choices come with responsibilities.”
Together, both men see their work as part of a larger mission.
“The legacy I’d like to leave is truly feeding the world,” Wilson said. “As ranchers, we’re feeding more and more people with fewer and fewer of us ranching and farming.” — Shelby Shank for the Red Angus Magazine
