Breeder’s Connection 2026 | Ranching and Racing: Lee’s Cattle Company
Sarah Hill Follow
John and Kathy Lee base Lee’s Cattle Company in the northeastern corner of Colorado near Brush. They have additional crop farms in Hillrose and more pasture land near Sterling.
A Good Move
John and Kathy have been married 57 years and have four children. The family relocated their ranching operation to Colorado from Arizona about 25 years ago, driven by the desire to ranch in country that was better suited for cattle and a plan to expand the operation and their herd.
“We could only run so many cows on the ranch we had,” Lee said. “We were pushing the limits of our grass, and we wanted to run more cows so we could be more profitable. We’ve been happy since we’ve been here.”
The move allowed Lees to grow their herd up to 1,200 cows at one point—which has since backed down to around the 1,000 head mark. Lee’s Cattle Company previously raised Angus and Maine Anjou cattle, but has switched to Angus, Simmental and Red Angus.
Today, the operation includes John and Kathy, their ranch manager, Humberto Montes, and his family, full-time employee Carlos Montes and his family, and two other employees, David and Ramon. The team works collectively to manage the cattle, 25,000 acres of grass and 1,400 acres of hay, corn and silage corn. Lee hires a custom farming outfit to handle the corn and silage corn production, while he and his employees cut and bale their own hay.
“It’s not too hard,” Lee said. “The feedlot in Brush has two homes for employees and is only five miles from the farms in Hillrose.”
When the Lees moved to Colorado, they didn’t cut all of their Arizona ties. In addition to the ranching operation, the Lees own a Quarter Horse breeding and racing operation in Chandler, Arizona, home to 17 broodmares. Eight Lee horses are on the racing circuit.
The couple also owns two construction companies based in Arizona. When Lee isn’t working, he’s hunting for elk, deer, bear and more.
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Lee Cattle Company has repeat customers from across the natiPhoto by Rachel Spencer Gabel.
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Lee Cattle Company has repeat customers from across the nation. Photo by Rachel Spencer Gabel.
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The Lee’s Cattle Company crew.
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With a victory at Ruidoso Downs on August 5, 2023, KJ Desparado has become the sport of American Quarter Horse racing’s all-time leading money earner. Photo by Q-Racing.
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Lee’s Cattle Company has three locations in the northeastern corner of Colorado, near Brush, with crop farms in Hillrose, and more pasture land near Sterling.
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The Lee family made the move to Colorado from Arizona about 25 years ago, driven in pursuit of more grassland to run more cows.
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The Lees grew their herd up to 1,200 cows at one point—which has since backed down to around the 1,000 of Angus, Simmental and Red Angus.
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Lee noted that Simmental cross cattle seem to be what buyers want, selling better than purebred cattle.
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Lees Cattle Company includes John and Kathy; their ranch manager, Humberto Montes, and his family; full-time employee Carlos Montes and his family; and two other employees.
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Sim-Angus cross cattle produced by Lees Cattle Company tend to be big, stout with more bone, sacrificing nothing in terms of growth and muscle.
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Giving Customers What They Want
Lee’s Cattle Company focuses on raising purebred Angus and Simmental cattle, and of course, SimAngus crosses.
“We completely got out of the Maine Anjous about 10 to 15 years ago,” Lee said. “Simmental crosses are what the bull buyers want, so that’s what we give them. The crosses seem to sell better than the purebreds.”
Lee notes that their SimAngus cross cattle tend to be bigger, more stout with more bone, yet sacrifice nothing in the way of growth and muscle. These traits fit perfectly with Lee’s breeding criteria. The operation strives to produce females that are docile and feminine with good udders and feet. Bull calves should have good muscling and rib shape.
“I’m particular about the bulls we select to AI our cattle,” he said. “When you’re selling by the pound, you’re always trying to improve your cattle. Feminine females is where it all starts. If a female doesn’t have good feet, then she can’t travel.”
The genetic base for Lee’s Cattle Company stems from Tim Ohlde’s Angus stock, which Lee said he was impressed with their great udders and longevity. Breeding those lines with Simmental bulls has added more growth, bone and improved feet and legs.
Focus on First-Calf Heifers
Lee’s Cattle Company calves out first-calf heifers in mid-March, followed by SimAngus cross cows, purebred Angus cows, and finally the Red Angus purebred cows. The operation retains about 100 to 200 heifers as replacements and develops their bulls to sell as 2-year-olds.
Bulls are developed at the feedlot in Brush. Yearling bulls, steers and open heifers are also fed there.
The ranching operation raises all of their own feed, with special emphasis put on diets for first-calf heifers. That group is fed corn silage to encourage breeding back.
“Those first calf heifers put everything they’ve got into their baby, so we take extra care of them and feed them a little harder than our older cows, to make sure they breed back,” Lee said.
The ranch hosts an annual bull sale at the end of March, with many repeat customers buying bulls. Lee’s Cattle Company has sold bulls to the states surrounding Colorado: Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.
The herd has made a splash at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, taking a pen of bulls to the show for 10 to 15 years.
“We’ve won the pen of Simmental bulls and have been runner up for Simmental cross bulls,” he said.
Raising Horses
When Lee isn’t in Colorado working with the cattle, he’s in Arizona, raising foals and teaching those foals how to lead. At 18 months of age, racing prospects are sent to a trainer to get used to a saddle and learn what they need to know as racehorses, such as how to behave at the starting gate, rating and trailering.
Four years ago, a two-year-old gelding that was co-owned by the Lees won the All-American Futurity. KJ Desparado sired by Apollitical Jess out of Tres Veses was entered to qualify for four futurities in 2021, including the Rainbow, All American and Turf Paradise. Desparado’s earnings for that year were an astonishing $1,602,000.
Desparado made the cut to the top 10 fastest horses out of 300 entries, which he then went on to win. It was a sweet victory for Lee, who’d been entering horses in the futurity for 16 years. Horses owned by Lees had placed second and fourth twice each, and the couple were excited to finally clinch a win.