RECIPIENT

Albert K. Mitchell, whose life spanned the era from the 19th century free range to the age of the airborne cowman, was a partner with his father and later his son in ownership of the Tequesquite Ranch, founded in 1896. His father, T. E. Mitchell, brought the first registered Herefords to New Mexico. In its prime, the ranch was home to 30 cowboys and consisted of 180,000 acres. A.K. became manager of the Bell Ranch in 1933 but also continued to manage the Tequesquite. He was one of the original founders of the American Quarter Horse Association and served four terms as president, guiding the AQHA through some of its most difficult times and earning the respect of ranching families throughout the Southwest.