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Year Inducted: 2009
Home State: TX
Cornelia “Ninia” Wadsworth Ritchie is the 4th generation owner of the JA Ranch, the oldest ranch established in the Texas Panhandle, and one still in the hands of the heirs of one of the original founders. Named for her great-grandmother, Ritchie is carrying on the tradition of Cornelia Adair, who is celebrated for the passionate care she took of the ranch. Cornelia and her husband, John Adair, partnered in business with the legendary cattleman, Charles Goodnight. Together, in 1876, they formed the JA Ranch using John Adair's initials as the brand.
Ritchie's approach to ranch management centers on integrity and sustainable success. An active part of the management team, she lives at the ranch headquarters at Paloduro, and is dedicated to maintaining the 130 years family history of preserving the land and improving the livestock. Ritchie is a true steward of the land; in 1999, she placed the entire JA Ranch in Colorado under a conservation easement. Her son, Andrew Montgomery Bivins is the 5th generation of this family to actively carry on these traditions.
