In 1954, Les & Ethel decided to buy a ranch, so they sold all of their older Hereford grade cows for $10,000. Cattle prices plummeted that fall. With this money as a down payment, they bought two adjacent irrigated farms southwest of Valier. These places were in a very run-down condition as they had been rented out for many years prior. Besides the buildings being in disrepair, the farm land was depleted by the prevailing west winds blowing the top soil away. They seeded the cultivated acres to hay and pastures and applied commercial fertilizers, particularly phosphate.

The Holdens continued to use Line One bulls in the commercial and purebred herds. They bought bulls at the Miles City Range Station and also traded with or purchased from Jack Cooper.

The Montana Beef Performance Association was organized in 1956. Les was not at the initial meeting as it was during haying season, but they joined one week later to become charter members. Les served as President of the Association in 1965 and 1966 and as a director prior to this.

The commercial cattle were sold in 1967 which eliminated the need to lease additional land some 15 miles away. The land base at the ranch was sufficient to maintain the purebred herd there. It was in the spring of this year, that the 1st Annual Cooper-Holden Bull Sale was held at Great Falls. Until this sale, all cattle had been sold through private treaty. An auction gave the buyers a more equal opportunity at buying their choice of the bulls. These sales didn't make headlines the first few years, but Max Fulscher, a prominent Hereford breeder from Colorado, purchased the top selling Holden bull in 1969 for $5,500 and this gave the Holden-Cooper Sale the boost it needed.

The dawn of the computer era was a godsend for Les as he utilized the Montana Beef Performance Association computer system for several years and later enrolled the Holden herd into the Hereford Association's TPR program when it was finally established. Holden Herefords has greatly benefited through the use of the computed TPR data.

They are now active participants in the AHA's Whole Herd T.P.R. program.  They have also used ultrasound since 1996 to improve carcass traits in their cattle and are always looking for new and better ways to measure performance traits in their herd.  They have a strong focus on selecting for moderate birth weight combined with high growth, maternal, and carcass traits.

Holden Herefords cowherd is recognized as one of the tops in the nation.  They have placed tremendous emphasis on milking ability, udder quality, and fertility combined with sound, easy fleshing, well marked females.

Holden Herefords incorporated in 1975, with Les & Ethel continuing to manage the ranch until 1987.  At this time, Les' grandson, Jack Holden and his wife Tresha took over the management of the ranch.  They have two children, Brooke and Brad that now help on the ranch also. 

Over the years Les received several honors and awards, namely Montana Hereford Man of the Year in 1978(Montana Hereford Association);Beef Performance Breeder of the Year in 1975 (Beef Improvement Federation); Livestock Man of the Year in 1981(Record Stockman); inducted into the Honor Gallery in Heritage Hall in 1980(American Hereford Association); and the Producer Recognition Award (Fort Keogh Range Station at Miles City).

Jack's parents, John and Linda Holden, are also involved in the registered cattle business raising purebred Hereford and Angus cattle on Westwind Ranch about a mile away.  You can view their website at westwindranch.com.