History Main / Rancher

%% * ''Film/NightOfTheWolf'': A DeterminedWidow heroine rancher.

* In ''Film/CoronerCreek'', Della Harms is a DeterminedWidow who is determined that will not be driven off the ranch her husband left her by her neighbour Younger Miles. Although she gives the impression of being TheDitz, she is actually much tougher and wilier than most people give her credit for.

"Tell me about it. My car has trouble starting too."

%% * In order, Judge Garth, the Grainger brothers, and Col. MacKenzie, owners of the Shiloh Ranch in ''Series/TheVirginian'' (later ''TheMenFromShiloh'').

%% Please add context before uncommenting anything. Try and explain how the character's act, not just that they are in fact a rancher.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: Etta's parents Hard and Sugar Candy are ranchers in Texas. Most of their ranch hands are originally from Mexico and Hard is always dressed much nicer--though still in western duds with a cowboy hat--than his workers. They also have a couple of oil wells on the property and the ranch borders an oil field.

The New Yorker nods sympathetically:

The {{Rancher}} employs the {{Cowboy}}, CampCook and other ranch workers. He (or sometimes she) is the equivalent of a business owner in a more urban setting. They generally will dress a little better than their employees, but not too much--most ranchers are hands-on to some degree, and need to be able to do anything an ordinary cowboy could. Indeed, many a cowboy has the ambition of gaining a ranch of his very own.

* The ranch owner who needs the CattleDrive done in ''Film/CitySlickers''
* ''Film/NightOfTheWolf'': A DeterminedWidow heroine rancher.
* ''Film/TheJourneyOfNattyGann'' (minor characters)
* Joe Bannock in ''Literature/ATownLikeAlice''. Though he didn't own it til the end, if memory serves.
* ''Film/TheCowboys'': Wil Andersen has to hire young boys when his cattle drivers head for the gold fields.
* ''Film/BigJake'': The [=McCandles=] ranch is run over by a gang of cutthroats.
* ''Film/{{Chisum}}'': Very loosly based on the Lincoln Country War.
* ''Film/{{McLintock}}'': George Washington [=McLintock=]
* ''Film/TheManWhoShotLibertyValance'': Tom Doniphon had a small ranch.

* Beans in ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}'' owns a ranch that the mayor of town wants to purchase from.
* Bick Benedict in ''Film/{{Giant}}''.

* 'Ole Devil' Hardin in the Western novels of Creator/JTEdson.
** Also John Slaughter.

* Luke Fletcher in ''Literature/{{Shane}}'' is an example of the BigBad Rancher.

* The Cartwright family of ''{{Series/Bonanza}}'', as mentioned above, provided that Ben doesn't slip into outright CattleBaron territory.
* In one ''Series/MagnumPI'' episode there is a teenage rancher who needs our heroes' help.
* The Kents' farm in ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' is an important element.
* In order, Judge Garth, the Grainger brothers, and Col. MacKenzie, owners of the Shiloh Ranch in ''Series/TheVirginian'' (later ''TheMenFromShiloh'').
* On ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' Malcolm Reynold's mom ran a ranch.
* ''Series/TheRanch''. ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, Beau Bennett and his sons own a failing ranch.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* Peggy's dad in ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' is a cattle rancher who lives in Montana.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'': Etta's parents Hard and Sugar Candy are ranchers in Texas. Most of their ranch hands are originally from Mexico and Hard is always dressed much nicer--though still in western duds with a cowboy hat--than his workers. They also have a couple of oil wells on the property and the ranch borders an oil field.

* The ''plaas'' where sisters Johanna and Mariella Smith-Rhodes were brought up in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' of Creator/AAPessimal is pretty much a ranch: quite a few square miles of [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica Rimwards Howondaland]] belonging to their father, [[PapaWolf Barbarossa Smith-Rhodes]]. It sets the scene for how two Boer girls had the strength and aptitude to become career Assassins. And how "South African" came to add to the interesting and volatile ethnic mix in Ankh-Morpork.

* The ''plaas'' where sisters Johanna and Mariella Smith-Rhodes were brought up in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' of Creator/AAPessimal is pretty much a ranch: quite a few square miles of [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica Rimwards Howondaland]] belonging to their father, [[PapaWolf Barbarossa Smith-Rhodes]]. It sets the scene for how two Boer girls had the strength and aptitude to become career Assassins.

* Dan Evans in ''Film/ThreeTenToYuma'', who takes a job escorting a criminal so he can help support his ranch.

* The titular MartinFierro owned his own spread of land, while he worked for el patrón (a CattleBaron), so he was a relatively rich guy before all these misfortunes fell on him.

* 'Ole Devil' Hardin in the Western novels of JTEdson.

* Luke Fletcher in ''{{Shane}}'' is an example of the BigBad Rancher.

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'''Examples:'''

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