When presented with the plaque honoring the Carey Ranch as a Great Montana Ranch at the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame banquet on Oct. 1 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center, Helen Carey couldn’t help but feel something was missing. Her husband, Tom, passed away in February, and she knew it would have been a special occasion for him.
“All I could think of was how pleased Tom would have been,” she said.
The original Carey ranch was purchased by Tom’s grandfather in 1896, and with the purchase of that ranch, Helen said, the family also received the quarter circle C brand, now known as the Tom Carey Cattle Company brand. Tom, Helen and their eight children carried the ranch forward, and such dedication has not been lost on the next generation.
“Tom Jr. and his son Steven have done a remarkable job with the XC ranch,” Helen said, a ranch corporation branched off the Tom Carey Cattle Company.
Sandy Carey and her husband Chris (Helen’s son), have also seen their children step up by starting Dunn Canyon Cattle Co. in 2000. Their daughter, Tressa, and three sons (Bo, Justin and Brian) worked there during their school years. Bo and Justin and their families have made their careers in ranching and running Devils Fence Beef, selling retail and wholesale beef.
Aware of the Carey family’s faithfulness toward the ranch, Jefferson County Commissioner Leonard Wortman nominated the historic ranch for the award.
“They are a very community-oriented family and have always been supportive of the rodeos in Jefferson County,” he said. “They’ve been a mainstay of the Boulder Valley pretty much since it was settled.”
The award meant a great deal to Helen, as well as to other family members, Sandy said, as it recognized not just the ranching operation but also their way of life.
