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Nicholas Petry, the Builder Who Led the National Western Stock Show for 19 Years

A Denver contractor and ranch owner, Petry served 19 years as president of the National Western Stock Show and helped it grow into a premier show.

Who Was Nicholas Petry?

Nicholas Robert Petry combined three careers that rarely share one resume: construction executive, Western rancher and civic leader of the livestock show world. The Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Foundation sums him up as a leader in establishing the National Western Stock Show as a premier show, and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum inducted him into the Hall of Great Westerners in 2002.

He was born in Wyoming in 1918, raised in Colorado, and died in 1999. Wyoming and Colorado, the two states where he later bought ranches, framed his whole life, and both appear in the record of his work, from stadium stands in Denver to cattle country in the mountain valleys.

Early Life, College and the War Years

Petry graduated from the University of Colorado in 1940. During World War II he supervised construction of airplane manufacturing plants, according to the Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Foundation biography.

That wartime work matters for what came next. Managing large building projects under deadline is the same skill set a stock show board needs when it decides to renovate a facility while keeping the annual event running.

N. G. Construction and the Mile High Stadium Stands

After the war Petry returned to Denver and joined his father's construction company. By the late 1950s he was president of N. G. Construction. The firm built the movable east stands at the original Mile High Stadium.

The foundation's account does not give contract values, headcount or other business figures, so none are repeated here.

The Grizzly Ranch and the Mill Iron Ranch

Petry also put his earnings into land. He established the Grizzly Ranch at Walden, Colorado, in 1958, and the Mill Iron Ranch at Saratoga, Wyoming, in 1977. Both towns sit in high mountain valleys where cattle ranching is the traditional business.

The sources reviewed for this profile do not describe the breeds, herd sizes or acreage on either ranch, and this profile does not guess at them.

Leading the National Western Stock Show

Petry was elected president of the National Western Stock Show in 1966 and served a nineteen-year term. During that time he oversaw efforts to renovate and expand the show's facility and established a major scholarship fund. In 1986 he became chairman of the board.

The National Western is a Denver institution built around livestock sales, shows and rodeo, and its leadership roles are volunteer positions that draw on ranchers and business people alike. Petry's long presidency is the core of his Hall of Great Westerners case.

Boards, Service and Citizen of the West

Petry served on the boards of Colorado National Bank, United Airlines, Eaton Corporation, Westin Hotels, Public Service Company of Colorado and the Denver Water Board. He also chaired the board of the University of Colorado Foundation at his alma mater.

In 1986 he was named Citizen of the West, the same year he became chairman of the stock show board.

The Key to Petry's Success

Petry's record shows an organizer who matched practical building skills to institutions that needed to grow. He did not rely on one business or one title.

The documented lessons are these.

  • He joined the family construction business and rose to president of N. G. Construction by the late 1950s.
  • He bought into ranching early, with a Colorado ranch in 1958 and a Wyoming ranch in 1977.
  • He stayed in one leadership role for 19 years, which gave the stock show continuity through renovation and expansion.
  • He built a scholarship fund, tying the show to students as well as livestock.
  • He took seats on the boards of banks, utilities, airlines and a university foundation, bringing outside business experience back to Denver.

Legacy and Where to Learn More

Petry's name remains linked to the National Western Stock Show's growth from a regional livestock event into a premier national show. The Hall of Great Westerners overview places him among other inductees from the museum's western heritage honor roll.

For ranch stories from the same Rocky Mountain country, browse the ranching section on farm.FM, or read a farm.FM story about the Denver stock show.

Timeline

  1. 1918Born in Wyoming
  2. 1940Graduates from the University of Colorado
  3. World War IISupervises construction of airplane manufacturing plants
  4. 1958Establishes the Grizzly Ranch at Walden, Colorado
  5. Late 1950sBecomes president of N. G. Construction
  6. 1966Elected president of the National Western Stock Show
  7. 1977Establishes the Mill Iron Ranch at Saratoga, Wyoming
  8. 1986Named Citizen of the West; becomes chairman of the stock show board
  9. 1999Dies
  10. 2002Inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners

Frequently asked questions

Who was Nicholas Petry?

Nicholas Robert Petry (1918-1999) was a Denver construction executive, rancher and longtime president of the National Western Stock Show, inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 2002.

How long was Nicholas Petry president of the National Western Stock Show?

Petry was elected president in 1966 and served a nineteen-year term. He became chairman of the board in 1986.

What ranches did Nicholas Petry own?

He established the Grizzly Ranch at Walden, Colorado, in 1958 and the Mill Iron Ranch at Saratoga, Wyoming, in 1977.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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