Like many existing ranches in the Estes Valley, Meadowdale Ranch has an established history. All ranches near Estes Park carry on a legacy of Western heritage, which is just one reason they have ties to the annual Rooftop Rodeo.
(COURTESY PHOTO OF TONI BROWN)

 

Rooftop Rodeo to honor local operations and their Western heritage

ESTES PARK, Colo. – On the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, the Estes Valley is home to pine, evergreens, lush grasslands and history.

Years before Colorado reached statehood in 1876, the valley dotted with ranches and livestock. The Western heritage of Larimer County is strong, and it’s accentuated annually by Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Monday, July 6-Saturday, July 11, at Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds.

Some of those longstanding operations still exist, and they’re connected to the local rodeo

“There are two ties to the rodeo that we share,” said Jake Glassbrook, the Crocker Ranch manager. “We both are keeping the Western heritage alive, and we both support our local community.

“Rooftop Rodeo is also giving us a platform to let the world know that Crocker Ranch exists. With us not being big on social-media platforms, this is our way to get the word out about our own heritage.”

It’s a history worth celebrating. Crocker Ranch joins Meadowdale Ranch and MacGregor Ranch as important outfits in the valley. All are involved with the rodeo, which will honor them during a special opening ceremony during one of the six performances.

“Crocker Ranch was founded in 1872, and it has a long history of running cattle all over the Estes Valley,” Glassbrook said. “A lot of people don’t realize that back in the day, there (were) no fences in the Estes Valley. The large cattle ranches in Estes Valley didn’t have fences. They had a large spring roundup, where they’d bring in all the cattle from the entire valley.

“They’d bring them into a bunch of big sorting pens, and they’d sort them out that way.”

The valley’s ranching legacy was established long ago. As Colorado celebrates its 150th year as a state and the United States honors its 250th year, Rooftop Rodeo is honoring its origins, too.

“I think it’s incredibly important to maintain that Western heritage, because that’s part of what draws people to Estes Park,” said Toni Brown, who lives on and oversees the Meadowdale Ranch. “It’s not just the national park, but it’s the lifestyle and the individuals who moved here and made a living in a very difficult environment.”

The Meadowdale land was acquired by Don Kilton in 1923, then was purchased in 1932 by the Pew family, which raised Percheron show horses. In 1958, most of the ranch was sold to the Isabell family, who operated it as a dude ranch before selling it two years later to Bud and Edith Hohnholz, Brown’s grandparents.

“I joke that I’m a fifth-generation Colorado/Wyoming cattle rancher who knows next to nothing about cows anymore,” said Brown, the Rooftop Rodeo queen in 1979. “My grandparents, who were lifelong cattle ranchers, moved to Estes in 1960 and purchased what was called Meadowdale Ranch.”

It’s still a family operation. Her involvement with the rodeo is part of that legacy.

“My grandfather was a lifelong ranch cowboy,” she said. “He always loved rodeos, loved cattle, loved horses, and they always wanted to support the rodeo. It’s important to me to honor my grandparents and the life they lived.”

While it’s not a working ranch, per se, there is livestock on the property. Brown leases pastureland to the MacGregor Ranch, which was established in 1873.

“I wish I could see what it was like when there was a bunch of cattle ranches out in this valley,” said Luke Marshall, the MacGregor Ranch manager. “I understand it was a big, booming cattle-ranching valley back in the day.”

Marshall grew up in Estes Park, just like his coworker, Morgan Morris, the ranch’s office manager. They bring a diverse background to their jobs.

“I’m not a Western enthusiast, but I really love the history of the MacGregor Ranch, because it was so impactful of the Estes Valley,” Morris said. “It’s incredible to see our third generation, Muriel MacGregor, really had such a reference for her family history and realize the importance of it, and she was able to preserve it.”

It’s a common theme, which is why the ranches play a vital role in the community’s rodeo. Both want Estes Park visitors to know rodeo and ranches offer a tremendous history lesson for America and the state of Colorado.

“The rodeo keeps the Western lifestyle alive and gets people excited about it,” Marshall said. “It brings that culture to the forefront of people’s minds every summer and is celebrated.”

“I think the rodeo gets tourists as well as locals,” Morris said. “Keeping that Western heritage on people’s minds in the middle of the summer is a cool tribute to the roots of this community.”

Gates for Rooftop Rodeo open at 5 p.m. Monday, July 6-Saturday, July 11, with the preshow beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the rodeo beginning at 7 p.m. For more information about Rooftop Rodeo, which is a Town of Estes Park signature event, or to order tickets online, log on to www.RooftopRodeo.com. Other ticket inquiries may be made by contacting the Town of Estes Park Events office at events@estes.org or (970) 586-6104.