Historic Cowboy Photography at the Spanish Ranch in Nevada
Documenting a Legendary Nevada Cattle Operation
Northern Nevada is home to some of the most historic cattle ranches in the country. North of I-80, the landscape becomes a patchwork of sagebrush and working land, a region shaped by generations of ranchers. I recently had the chance to photograph life on the Spanish Ranch in Tuscarora, Nevada, part of the legendary Ellison Ranching Company, which has been operating there since 1910. But the history of this land goes back even further. Buckaroos were running cattle here long before the Ellisons arrived, and luckily, many of the old traditions are still alive there today. You see it in the way the cowboys move through their day, in the gear on their horses, and in the quiet pride they carry.
Why Nevada’s Buckaroo Country Feels Different
Every ranch has something unique, but I’ll admit I’m especially drawn to those in Nevada. The Sagebrush Sea has its own kind of pull; wide open, endless, and meditative. The buckaroo style itself, the horsemanship, the gear, the rhythm of the work all feels timeless and intentional. Even just driving onto the ranch, you know you’re entering a special place.
When I visited, it was branding season, and the cowboys were camped in teepees out in the desert, hours from the nearest town. Each night, I’d fall asleep staring out at the fading light on the horizon, just the wind, the birds, and the slow color shift of the sagebrush. No noise. No phones. No traffic. It’s the kind of peace you can’t buy or download.
Mornings started early with breakfast at 4:30 a.m., and then the day unfolds just the same way it has for ages, horseback across giant swaths of pristine country. Watching these cowboys work in such a remote, beautiful place is something I’ll never take for granted.
Photographing the Spirit of the American West
Photographing working cowboys on historic ranches like the Spanish Ranch isn’t just about documenting a job, it’s about capturing a way of life that’s still deeply rooted in purpose, patience, and hard work. Every trip out to a ranch like this reminds me why I do what I do. It’s always hard to leave after spending time with great people that deserve so much respect, knowing the road home means traffic, screens, and emails stacked up like fence posts. But I carry the stillness of these places with me and I try to pass that along through the photographs.
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A roper at work on the Spanish Ranch—timing, balance, and decades of horsemanship distilled into a single loop of the rope.
Horses kicking up dust in a corral at The Spanish Ranch in Nevada
Riding through open range
Buckaroos dragging calves to the branding fire
Sunset on the Spanish Ranch
Branding morning on the Spanish Ranch: heat, dust, smoke, and the kind of teamwork that defines ranch life in Nevada’s high desert.
Pack of horses in a cloud of dust
Cowboys push a herd across the wide Nevada desert at the Spanish Ranch—one of the oldest and most storied cattle outfits in the Great Basin.
A fleeting moment from horseback on the Spanish Ranch—motion, dust, and the worn-in leather that speaks to a life spent working cattle.
Roping calves on a working cattle ranch in the American West
Nick Donker
The Spanish Ranch - Tuscarora, NV
Buckaroo getting into his teepee
Dust hangs in the air as a cowboy braces at the branding grounds, surrounded by the grit and rhythm of a long ranching tradition.
Cow Camp at The Spanish Ranch in Nevada
Morning light hits the branding grounds at the Spanish Ranch as cowboys and horses move in tight coordination, each role essential in the workflow of a big outfit.
Makayla Fulfer - Cowgirl
Group photo of cowboys on the Spanish Ranch
Early morning bronc ride
Cody Braucher - Cow Boss - Spanish Ranch
Cowboys working cattle on a ranch in Nevada