This 1,542-acre Quarter Circle Lazy B Ranch in north-central Wyoming, which has been in one family since 1889, is now on the market. The legacy property, which was once visited by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, is listed for $24.5 million through Century 21 BHJ Realty.
A legacy property owned by a family for four generations
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Tucked beneath the skyline of the Bighorn Mountains, this ranch was founded by Oliver H. Wallop (Noll), the youngest son of a Victorian earl. “He settled in southern Montana, where he introduced the region’s first thoroughbred horses. By 1889, he had moved south to Big Horn, Wyoming, establishing what became known as Canyon Ranch, which includes the historic Quarter Circle Lazy B,” the listing says.
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In 1925, he unexpectedly inherited the title of 8th Earl of Portsmouth. Despite his nobility, he remained devoted to his Wyoming ranch until his death in 1942. The land stayed with his descendants, and four generations of the Wallop family have owned it since. The family oversaw the property’s stewardship for 135 years.
Pic credit: CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty, Inc.
Oliver’s grandson, Malcolm Wallop, served for 18 years in the US Senate. His great-grandson, Paul Wallop, now owns the ranch and is its co-listing agent.
Pic credit: CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty, Inc.
Paul’s aunt married Henry Herbert, the 7th Earl of Carnarvon. Friends called him Porchie. He had known Queen Elizabeth II since childhood, and they shared a love of horses. In 1969, he became her horse-racing manager. Herbert’s family home is Highclere Castle in Hampshire, which later became the setting for the Netflix series Downton Abbey.
Pic credit: CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty, Inc.
Famous people visited the ranch
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In 1984, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the ranch. They were in Kentucky looking at horses before travelling to Wyoming. They “had been looking at horses in Kentucky, and then they came out here,” Paul Wallop told Mansion Global. “They were here for four days. It was just a private family trip.” Philip had visited earlier, in 1969. Princess Anne also visited later.
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Among the famous visitors were the Japanese, Saudi and British ambassadors, former French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, former US Vice-President Dan Quayle and Hall of Famer John Elway, among others.
What the buyer gets
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This Wyoming ranch is the “Jewel on the face of the Bighorn Mountains”, according to the listing. And they are not wrong. The legacy property sits at the mouth of Little Goose Canyon, with the Bighorn Mountains close behind. The ranch is protected by one of Wyoming’s earliest conservation easements. “This land promises enduring tranquillity, privacy, and preservation,” the listing says. It is surrounded by other conserved ranches, and its vistas and open spaces remain untouched by development. The landscape, a “timeless Western setting”, unfolds across rolling pastures, lush meadows and pine forests, with panoramic mountain views.
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The main luxury lodge was built in 1993. It spans 3,006 square feet, with two bedrooms, a loft and four bathrooms. “The lodge is set in a wonderfully peaceful location just to the east of the main buildings and enjoys the full panoramic views of Little Goose Canyon and Moncrieffe Ridge,” according to the listing.
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The Foreman’s House dates to the early 1900s and was updated in 2011. The 1,444-square-foot house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. There is also a cabin at the back of the ranch. It is “a comfortable 1¼-storey retreat with 1,377 square feet, two bedrooms, a sleeping loft and a bathroom”. There are also two barns, including a historic stone barn from the 1930s, and a riding arena measuring 100 by 200 feet. The old three-sided shop building is now used for storage.
Pic credit: CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty, Inc.
The land has four mountain ponds and 600 feet of trout stream. The ranch also holds one of Wyoming’s original private game bird farm licences.Three houses are used as holiday rentals, including a fly-fishing lodge and a remote cabin. That income is part of what the family has built around the property.
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Accessibility is another perk. The town of Sheridan is about 20 minutes away. Paul described its downtown as “thriving”, and most of Main Street is on the National Register of Historic Places. The area also has an old polo field which, according to the listing, is the oldest west of the Mississippi River.
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Nearby, Bear Davis Park and Red Grade Road provide access to Bighorn National Forest, which covers nearly one million acres of trails and wilderness. The local airport connects to Denver, where travellers can catch flights to most other destinations.
