Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCowboys and ranchers are up before dawn to head out to gather the cattle for their final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCowboys and ranchers are up before dawn to head out to gather the cattle for their final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostRancher Duke Phillips IV and his daughter Dean, 4, look at the cattle from the top of a ridge as help to drive them towards the corrals for the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostRancher Duke Phillips IV and his daughter Dean, 4, ride together as they round up cattle for the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29t, 2024. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostRanchers on horseback help drive cattle towards the corrals for the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024. F
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCowgirl Ruby Dunbar rides her horse to keep cattle moving towards the corrals for the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCowboy Jack Howick keeps cattle moving towards the corrals for the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostRancher Grace Phillips chases after an errant calf as she helps other ranchers drive cattle towards the corrals for the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCowboy Mike Giordano keeps cattle moving towards the corrals for the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCowgirl Ruby Dunbar rides her horse to keep cattle moving towards the corrals for the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostA curious calf watches as rancher Michael Lacey prepares a fire for the branding irons for the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostA young foal stays close to her mother during the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostHayes Leach, 8, checks out the fire near the young calves that are themselves transfixed by the fire during a final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024. The calves have never seen fire before and find it quite curious. The fire is used to heat up the branding irons. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCalves are transfixed by the fire during a final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024. The young calves have never seen fire before and find it quite curious. The fire is used to heat up the branding irons.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCalves are transfixed by the fire during a final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024. The young calves have never seen fire before and find it quite curious. The fire is used to heat up the branding irons. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostKnox Leach, 6, watches as ranchers Anja Stokes, left, and Michael Lacey, head out to catch calves to brand during the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostRancher Duke Phillips IV, left, with a tattoo of the Ranchlands brand on his right arm chats with fellow rancher Jason Stites, right, during the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostRanch kids watch the cattle branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostRanchers Duke Phillips III, prepares to rope a calf during the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostRanchers Michael Lacey and Duke Phillips rope a calf as they take part in final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024. At right is wrangler Mike Giordano.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostRanchers Madi Phillips, left, and Mike Giordano use their lassos to rope calves during the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostRanchers Duke Phillips III, center and Anja Stokes, right, work on roping a calf during the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostRancher Duke Phillips III ropes a calf during the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCowgirl Claudia Landreville coils her rope after catching a calf during the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCowgirl Ruby Dunbar, right, put the Ranchlands brand on a calf during the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostThe unique Ranchlands brand on the hind quarters of a calf during a final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCalves are tattooed and tagged with a number during final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCowgirl Claudia Landreville, second from right, smiles as she chats with Madi Phillips, right, during a break in the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostWoods Leach, 10, practices roping a calf while taking part with his family in the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 26, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostWoods Leach, 10, right, Shilo Woodcock, 10 and Hayes Leach, 8, try to pull in a calf to get it on the ground as the youngsters practice roping while taking part with his family in the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostMadi Phillips and her daughter Dean, 4, share a moment during the final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver PostCowboys and ranchers are up before dawn to head out to gather the cattle for their final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
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Cowboys and ranchers are up before dawn to head out to gather the cattle for their final branding at Chico Basin Ranch in Hanover, Colorado on June 29, 2024.
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By Helen H. Richardson | hrichardson@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
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For the past 25 years, Chico Basin Ranch has been managed by Ranchlands, a ranching company owned and operated by the Phillips Family. The family has lost the lease and this was their final cattle branding before they have to leave the ranch in December.
They are currently looking for new land to lease so they can keep their herd of Beefmaster cattle that have been carefully developed over the past two decades on the ranch. Duke Phillips III, the patriarch of the family, describes these cattle as “intelligent, gentle and resilient – able to be worked and moved, and to thrive on their own in adverse range conditions, through heat waves, blizzards, floods and droughts.” He says they are the product of a management philosophy that seeks to live in harmony with the land, requiring minimal inputs in order to do their crucial work of grazing for rangeland health.
The team vaccinated, branded and tagged just over 300 calves during this branding.
