Jay Six Ranch

Source: Wikipedia.

The 40,000-acre (160 km2) Jay Six cattle ranch is located just outside Benson. Once owned by Jack Speiden, the ranch played host to political figures like the young brothers Joseph and Jack Kennedy, and to senior statesman Barry Goldwater. The Kennedy brothers (Joe age 21 and Jack age 19) were sent out to the ranch in the spring of 1936 so that the brothers could work as ranch hands, and so that Jack Kennedy could recuperate from a recent illness in the dry desert heat. It is reported that ranchman Jack Speiden worked both brothers "very hard"..

When Speiden took possession of the ranch it was carrying upwards of 1000 head. The initial problem was to thin-out the herd and leave only registered stock. It was a slow tedious process. He realized that it was of the utmost importance to bring in the best possible breeding stock so he acquired bulls which were direct descendants of well-known strains as Royal Domino 2nd, Royal Triumph and Anxiety 4th − names which spell top quality to those in the business. The policy of weeding out the undesirables proved effective. At the ranch's peak, Jack had one of the most representative herds in the country. His cows were raised strictly for breeding purposes and not for the show ring, although they could have undoubtedly held their own against some of the blue ribbon winners of the day..

Speiden's passion for the improvement of breed carried into the quarter horse field, but on a much smaller scale. Again the emphasis was on quality. Although the venture was largely a hobby, it was obvious that a great amount of time went into selecting the best possible bloodlines. The results were gratifying as the Speiden colors were often first at the finish line..

The layout of the ranch was perfectly suited to the improvement of the breed and to the conserve of the range. The huge area allowed the cattle to graze on healthy, knee-high grass. Each year during the growing season, several of the fourteen pastures remained unused which gave the new grass an opportunity of coming in good and strong. This method of keeping the grass so high was both aesthetically beautiful and practical, as soil erosion was kept to a minimum and no deep gullies marred the landscape. These gorgeous grassy pastures extended up the mountain slope. The tall pine trees and cooler temperatures made a perfect summer retreat from the exhausting sun. A freshening stream satisfied the water problem and irrigated a lush peach, pear, and apple orchard..

The ranch's beauty and isolation did not go without notice. People from around the nation came to the ranch for varied reasons. Many came to the ranch for enjoyment and relaxation. Included on the list was Barry Goldwater "to find relaxation, or to toughen up".

Jack Speiden was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

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