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Juan Reyes, a Cuban who arrived in the United States at the age of 11 as part of the child exodus known as Operation Peter Pan, has been inducted into the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors in the rural sector of that state.
At 74 years old, this exiled cowboy has devoted his life to cattle ranching in the harsh prairies of the western United States, building from the ground up one of the most important ranches in the region: the MR Angus Ranch, specializing in the breeding of Angus bulls adapted to high altitudes.
“I used to say that I lived the American dream. Now I say that I am living the dream of Wyoming,” he stated to the local media Cowboy State Daily.
From refugee child to legend of the field
The story of Juan Reyes did not begin among cows or mountains, but in Covadonga, a rural community in Cuba, a few kilometers from the Bay of Pigs. His father was a worker at a sugar mill and raised livestock; his mother came from a communist family. The Revolution tore them apart.
When the invasion of Playa Girón shook the island in 1961, Juan's father decided to take his children out of the country. A year later, the three siblings were flying to Miami, secretly sent by the Catholic Church, with no money, just a cardboard suitcase and some clothes. They were placed in refugee camps in Florida and then transferred to a boarding school in the state of Washington.
Reyes remembers that moment as one of the hardest of his life.
In Washington, he met his future wife, Joni, and through her, he developed a love for Angus cattle. Later, they moved to Wyoming, where they faced brutal winters, cattle diseases, and debts that nearly broke them. But they never gave up.
With the help of universities, genetic research, and years of trial and error, Juan and Joni created a breeding system capable of producing healthy bulls at altitudes above 2,400 meters
Today, your ranch in Wheatland houses 1,000 registered cows and 7,000 head of cattle for fattening.
He also became famous for training border collies capable of managing flocks with a simple command or whistle. His method is so efficient that it replaces several cowboys and reduces stress in the animals. "It's like reading their minds," he claims.
A family legacy with Cuban roots
Juan and Joni raised their children amid the daily struggles of the ranch. Today, it is they, Jason, Jennifer, and their son-in-law Mick, who lead the operations. “I tried to steer them away from this work because it's tough. But I couldn't. They love it”, he acknowledges.
Beyond achievements, Reyes states that his greatest pride is having built something for his children without having had anything. “When we started, we had absolutely nothing. We lived like that for years,” his wife recalls.
Today, that boy who fled communism and didn't speak English now has friends and connections all over the United States and Canada, thanks to his livestock, his dogs, and his example.
“This recognition is not just mine. It belongs to my family. It belongs to everyone who helped me not give up”, he concluded.
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