Meet a trailblazer. Briley Beck, a lean 22-year-old West Texan from near Lamesa, is the first student officially accepted into the new Texas Tech Ranch Management Program. More than five years in the making, the rigorous academic endeavor officially launches this coming semester.
“Our goal is to build a relevant, stakeholder-driven ranch management graduate program that emphasizes experiential, hands-on learning,” said Ranch Management Program Executive Director Clint Rusk.
For Beck the new program offers an opportunity to develop new skills and gain knowledge that are core principles of managing a ranch. From finances to wildlife and pasture management, the program provides students with supplemental education to better prepare them for a career in helping feed the ever-growing population.
“I realized that raising livestock was more than just raising animals; it’s about nurturing the land, managing risk, working with new people,” Beck said. “This program allows me to learn all these facets of management that I need to help reach owners’ goals and ambitions. The best part about the program is the adaptability and flexibility for students from all walks of life to come into the program. They can figure out what their weaknesses are and how they can improve on them.”
Rusk noted that his non-thesis graduate program is based in the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Department of Natural Resources Management and centers on providing a broad-based education in the theories, methods, and boots-on-the-ground practices of ranch management.
“This program is specifically designed to include formal classes in wildlife, range, and ranch management, animal science, ag-business, and leadership, along with an invited seminar series featuring industry-leading guest speakers,” Rusk said.
According to Davis College Dean Clint Krehbiel, the ranch management course load is focused on bridging the disciplines in natural resources management, economics, and animal sciences. In addition, the new academic opportunity blends classroom training with on-ranch experiences and leadership development to produce highly qualified and experienced ranch managers.
“The next generation of ranch managers must be well trained in best practices and application of appropriate skills to ensure the tradition and maintain the relevance of ranching in the western United States,” he said.
After completing his bachelor’s degree in animal science in 2022, Beck maximized his opportunities to explore new experiences and connect with an outdoor-focused lifestyle. One of his biggest undertakings was signing on as an intern for six months with the R.A. Brown Ranch, a sprawling family business since 1895 and continues to be a leader in raising top quality quarter horses and registered and commercial cattle.
The ranch is known best for its powerful breeding bulls, more than 800 head annually. Located near Throckmorton, some 177 miles east of the Texas Tech campus, the ranch maintains extensive records on 1,000 registered cows, 200 commercial cows, and a mix of quarter horse broodmares. They’re also active in wildlife management, including whitetail deer, wild hogs, turkeys, quail, dove, and tanks stocked with hybrid Tiger Bass.
“Donnell Brown, the Brown family, as well as the managers have been wonderful mentors to me,” Beck said. “They push me to my limits to be the best version of myself while teaching me new skills that I will remember for the entirety of my career.”
CONTACT: Clint Rusk, Ranch Management Program Executive Director, Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-7619 or clrusk@ttu.edu
0805NM24 / BOTTOM PHOTO: (L to R) Clint Rusk, Briley Beck, R.A. Brown & Donnell Brown