New Mexico
Real estate heirs list one of America’s largest ranches for $142M after patriarch’s death
The family behind home-building titan D.R. Horton is putting one of America’s largest ranches on the market for a staggering $142 million.
The Great Western Ranch, a colossal 500,000-acre spread in New Mexico, is now up for grabs — offering more space than the entire city of Houston, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The move comes just months after the death of D.R. Horton’s founder, Donald Ray Horton, and signals the family’s readiness to part with their rural empire. The ranch is near Quemado, close to the Arizona border — roughly 150 miles west of Albuquerque.
This sprawling estate isn’t just a random plot of land — it’s a fortress of cowboy heritage and prime real estate.
The Hortons, known for their massive home-building empire, pieced together the ranch by snapping up three adjacent properties over the last decade.
The first chunk alone, 293,000 acres, set them back $59 million in 2014.
It’s an operational cattle ranch with about 1,900 cow-calf pairs currently roaming the land. A buyer can even pick up around 900 cows as part of the deal.
The Great Western is a treasure trove of history and natural beauty, too.
There are Native American archaeological sites scattered across the ranch, including ancient stone dwellings, petroglyphs, and countless pottery shards, Jeff Buerger of Hall and Hall, the listing agent, told the Journal. (As it stands, the offering is located near Navajo nation, as well as the famed Acoma Pueblo.)
And when the sun sets, the night sky is nothing short of a celestial show. “You feel like you’re on another planet when you look at the stars,” Buerger told the outlet.
The property also comes loaded with eight homes, including a guest lodge and a ranch manager’s house, plus all the fixings you need for serious ranching — wells, barns, corrals and even an equipment shop.
The ranch is also a hunting paradise, leased to Black Mountain Outfitters for trophy hunting.
Living on the Great Western Ranch is like stepping into a different world, according to Jason Saulan, who oversees the Horton family’s ranch portfolio.
“I don’t know what the opposite of claustrophobia is, but that’s the feeling you get,” Saulan told the outlet, recalling his time living on the property. “We lived up on top of a hill, and we could see 28 miles to St. John, Ariz.”
D.R. Horton has been America’s biggest home builder by sales volume since 2002, and the Horton legacy is rooted deep in the South. Founded in 1978 by Donald Ray Horton, the company has built homes for millions, but it’s clear their heart was also in the vast open spaces of the American West.
With its combination of large-scale beef production and trophy hunting, Buerger says, the Horton family’s New Mexico ranch is rare.
Last year, a smaller ranch in New Mexico occupying 16,700 acres sold for $44 million. But with this deal, the Horton family is aiming to set a new high score in the ranching game.
And while 500,000 acres is a massive amount land, the title for the largest ranch in the United States goes to the King Ranch in South Texas, which spans a jaw-dropping 825,000 acres.
2026 Sun City Pride Parade rolls through Downtown El Paso
Attendees lined the streets of Downtown El Paso as colorful floats and performers celebrated Pride during the 2026 Sun City Pride Parade.
A Cloudcroft barbecue spot has gained national recognition for its slow-cooked, savory meats and generous sides.
Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue landed at No. 7 on Yelp’s latest list of the Top 100 BBQ restaurants and was the only New Mexico spot to make the list. To compile the list, Yelp identified businesses in the barbecue category, then ranked those spots based on the volume and ratings of reviews from the Yelp Elite Squad — which comprises adventurous locals.
“High up in Cloudcroft, Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue brings Texas pitmaster tradition to 9,000 feet, serving up slow-smoked meats, hearty sides, and homemade desserts,” Yelp Elite Squad writes. “With picnic favorites like loaded potatoes, roasted corn, and hand-cut brisket sandwiches, this laid-back spot turns every meal into a mountain getaway worth savoring.”
It’s no surprise that Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue ranked high on the list, since James Jackson, a native of Lockhart, Texas, founded the restaurant. Lockhart is known as the “Barbecue Capital of Texas,” a title it received from the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas Legislature in 1999.
Jackson’s family bought a vacation home in Cloudcroft, and Mad Jack’s came to be.The line can stretch up to two hours, and people from all over the world, including plenty of Texans, come to taste what Mad Jack’s has to offer, according to its website.
If you can’t make the trip out to Cloudcroft, you can still get a taste of Mad Jack’s by ordering its rubs and sauces online.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
A wild rat in New Mexico tested positive for the plague after four dogs were diagnosed with the troubling disease earlier this year, according to authorities.
A homeowner discovered the plague-ridden rodent dead on a private property in Santa Fe County and submitted it for testing, according to the New Mexico Health Department.
It is the first confirmed wild animal in Santa Fe County to test positive for the illness caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria in 2026, the health department said.
The case follows four other confirmed plague cases in dogs this year — including three pooches in Santa Fe County and one in Bernalillo County.
“While this is an animal case of plague, it’s important to remember humans can get plague from flea bites or direct contact with infected animals, including rodents, wildlife and even pets,” Dr. Chad Smelser, deputy state epidemiologist for NMDOH, said in a statement.
“Pets can be infected with plague if they eat an infected animal or are bitten by infected fleas,” Smelser said.
Although human cases of the plague are rare, roughly half of all cases in the US each year occur in New Mexico, according to the health department.
The disease can be life-threatening without proper treatment, but if it’s caught early, it can be treated with antibiotics, officials added.
Symptoms in humans include sudden high fever, chills, headache, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes.
Infected pets similarly suffer from fever, low energy, loss of appetite, and swollen lymph nodes, experts added.
The New Mexico Health Department cautioned residents to take several steps to prevent themselves and their contracting the plague — including cleaning up areas near homes such as woodpiles, brush piles, junk and abandoned vehicles, where rodents could live.
Pet food and water should be kept away from where rodents and wildlife can get to them, and people should stay away from sick or dead rodents and rabbits.
Pets should use veterinarian-approved flea control products and be promptly taken to a veterinarian if they are sick.
Last year, a man in Arizona and a domestic cat in Colorado died of the bubonic plague.
A 43-year-old man from Valencia County in New Mexico was also hospitalized with the disease in 2025.
New Mexico
Ex-Barcelona defender takes over as new Mexico boss as Javier Aguirre leaves after England defeat | Goal.com US
.jpg?ssl=1 "Ex-Barcelona defender takes over as new Mexico boss as Javier Aguirre leaves after England defeat | Goal.com US")
The transition comes at a critical moment for Mexico. Marquez’s immediate priority is addressing the tactical shortcomings that proved costly against England. Defensive errors allowed players like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to secure the victory.
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