John Lacey: Owens Valley Rancher Who Led Both NCA and NCBA

Who Is John Lacey?

John Lacey, born in 1938, is a third-generation California rancher and national beef industry leader. The Hall of Great Westerners entry records his 2013 induction and describes a working operation that runs cattle and horses through the Lacey Livestock Partnership. This profile uses only his public professional record.

Lacey Livestock and the Owens Valley

The family operations cover more than 50,000 acres in Inyo and Mono counties, centered in the Owens Valley. The museum adds that the partnership extends to Centennial Livestock, which leases land in Monterey County and at Tejon Ranch and manages thousands of cattle seasonally. Running cattle across leased and owned ground in several parts of the state gives the operation more than one grazing season to work with.

Uniting the National Beef Groups

In 1990 Lacey served as president of the National Cattlemen's Association. According to the Ranching Heritage Center's profile, he was instrumental in combining the NCA, the National Live Stock and Meat Board and the Beef Industry Council into the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. He became president of the new NCBA in 1996, and the center says he is the only person to have served as president of both organizations.

Horses and the Remuda

Lacey's interest in horses began in the 1960s, and the museum describes a breeding program built around athleticism, temperament and cow sense. It says he favors proven mares and uses speed breeding to improve athleticism, with a long-term goal of a self-sustaining herd that uses only Lacey-bred mares. The museum says he has owned and bred stallions from the Mr. San Peppy and Colonel Freckles bloodlines. He received the AQHA-Bayer Best Remuda Award, which recognizes a working horse herd. A Cal Poly graduate, he lives in Paso Robles and stays close to the Tejon Ranch operations.

What the Public Record Does Not Say

This profile sticks to Lacey's public ranching and industry record. The museum and the Ranching Heritage Center describe his operations, his two presidencies and his breeding program, but they do not give herd sizes, revenues or details of how the family partnership is run, and none are offered here.

Some online listings credit him with additional foundation or board roles. Because those could not be confirmed from the pages reviewed, they are left out. Readers who want the full list of his service should check the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association directly.

Honors and Where to Learn More

Lacey was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 2013, one of many honorees listed in the Wikipedia hall overview. For other industry leaders and ranching stories, visit farm.FM's ranching section or read a farm.FM story on cattle organizations.