Salute to Ranching Quick Links

Gila County Cattle Growers Rancher and Wrangler of the Year

2025 Rancher of the Year

Hal Earnhardt

Hal Earnhardt, GCCGA 2025 Rancher of the Year, has always lived between two worlds - the open pastures and the showroom floor.

Growing up in Chandler, Arizona, he spent his days going to junior and high school rodeos, showing Black Angus cattle in 4-H, and helping his Grandpa Babe with the horses and cattle. When he wasn't out on the ranch, he was learning the family business from his dad, Tex Earnhardt.

Over time, Hal found a way to blend both passions - staying true to his love of ranching while taking on a bigger role at Earnhardt Auto Centers.

Today, he manages several cattle operations and continues to help lead the family's automotive business, keeping both traditions alive. Hal's commitment to his community and his roots have earned him plenty of recognition over the years, but what really stands out are the same qualities he's had since day one - hard work, integrity, and a genuine love for what he does.

With great appreciation, we celebrate our Rancher of the Year 2025, Hal Earnhardt! A heartfelt THANK YOU for your unwavering support and dedication to the Gila County Cattle Growers Association and the ranching community. 

2025 Wrangler of the Year

Ashley Hall

GCCGA 2025 Wrangler of the Year, Ashley Hall grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas where she spent her formative years outside or with her nose buried in books. She attended the University of Arizona (UofA) where her intended degree was photography but quickly shifted to Natural Resources after attending classes taught by professors such as Dr.(s) Mitch McClarin and Larry Howery.

After completing her undergraduate degree in Range Ecology, Ashley stayed with the UofA to complete her graduate program where she authored a vegetation map for portions of the Barry M. Goldwater test range. Ashley’s first post graduated position was with the UofA Cooperative Extension as a Research Specialist in Range Monitoring (UACE) in Yuma assisting the Yuma BLM office in setting up a range monitoring program for their cattle allotments. This position provided Ashley with the connections and skills to become a respected professional in the Range community.

In 2015, Ashley was offered a position with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an Invasive Species Coordinator for Region 2. Ashley enjoyed her position with USFWS, but her passion has always been the cooperative extension system, and particularly the southwest. So, in 2016 when Ashley was offered the chance to interview for a position with the UofA Cooperative Extension in Gila County, she jumped at the opportunity even though it would mean moving to Globe and being apart from her husband and dogs in Yuma for short time.

Ashley has served as an Area Associate Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources with an emphasis on rangeland management and livestock production for The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension (UACE), Gila & Pinal Counties since 2016.

Ashley’s Reading the Range (RtR) Program is regionally recognized as one of the flagship programs of Cooperative Extension. Since taking over the program, Ashley has worked to expand the program to include every allotment on the Tonto National Forest. The overwhelming majority of these sites have been sampled multiple times on a 3–5-year cycle with nearly 100% participation from ranchers. Along with field sampling, Ashley is heavily involved in the national award-winning Vegetation GIS Data System (VGS) program as a developer, tester, and at times tech support to support the technology which is used on every Forest throughout the West.

Ashley’s educational outreach is conducted through multiple range and livestock workshops throughout the year including a bi-annual Artificial Insemination Clinic. Another example of her outreach programs is a series of drought workshops, where Ashley facilitates discussions between producers and agency professionals to discuss potential drought effects and tools and strategies where common ground could be found and positive producer/agency relationships were strengthened. From this series of workshops, multiple new drought tools, a drought preparation guide, and other publications were developed and are commonly used throughout Arizona and beyond.

Ashley’s educational outreach extends beyond producers and agencies. She is a co-director for AZSRM's Natural Resource Conservation Workshop for Arizona Youth (NRCWAY) and provides rangeland education to Gila County 4th Grade youth during their annual Ag Daze program. Ashley has provided rangeland/grazing lessons to over 2,000 youth through the Ag Daze program.

Ashley’s contributions to the cattle industry in Gila County have yielded remarkable outcomes in collaborative range management, reinforcing our dedication to land stewardship and supporting our ranching community.

It is with sincere gratitude that we have the honor of presenting Ashley Hall with the 2024 Wrangler of the Year Award from the Gila County Cattle Growers’ Association.

Seth Durbin

Gila County Bred & Fed Winner

2019 Gila County Fair, Globe

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SOLD

to the Highest Bidder!

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Dance the Night Away

to the music of Bob Bigando & the Tumbleweeds

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Adam Diquattro

Gila Counth Bred & Fed Winner

Gila County Fair Payson

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Mike

Hemovich

2020 Rancher of the Year

Mike Hemovich, brings many unique attributes to our ranching community. Leadership, conservation principles, big-picture thinking, teamwork, hands-on work ethic, flexibility, and a life-long learner – to name a few.



After attending college Mike spent 30 years as an Army officer, serving in many places in the US, Europe, and Southeast Asia. While serving as Military Attaché to Greece, he and his wife Diana began a long-lasting love of sailing and sailed to many ports throughout the Mediterranean. After retiring, he and Diana settled in Tucson, but spent most summers on the Chesapeake Bay where they were able to continue their love of sailing. Knowing that retirement would eventually lead them to settle full time in Arizona, (Mike was born in Globe and his father was raised in Miami) Mike and Diana spent years looking for a cattle

ranch. The Bar X Ranch became available, so they gave up on sailing (for now) and started a new career in cattle ranching. 


With the help of ranching neighbors, cattle organizations, the Forest Service, U of A, Society for Range Management (SRM), Arizona Game and Fish and excellent cowboys who worked for us, they were able to learn and grow into the world of cattle. Mike has worked hard to improve the ranch, doubling the size in grazing area and by four-fold in permit numbers. His efforts have not gone unnoticed. The Bar X ranch has received numerous awards for the conservation work conducted on the ranch including Wildlife Habitat Stewards of the Year for Arizona (2018), nomination for National Conservation Ranch of the Year (2015).  After 15 years, Mike continues to learn and improve the Bar X.


For many years, Mike has been a staunch supporter of the ranching industry and an advocate for our Gila County ranchers in meeting the many challenges we face. He became President of the AZ Section SRM, a member of the Board of Directors of Arizona State Cattle Growers, and an active member of Gia County Cattle Growers’ Association. In 2009, Mike was elected to the Board of Directors of Directors of the GCCGA. When Mike became president in 2018, he took over during perilous times in Gila County. Ranching had once again been crippled by severe drought conditions. Fires ravaged the already devastated land, destroying many ranches. Then came the Coronavirus. 


Undaunted by these challenges, Mike worked with USFS, Arizona Game & Fish and wildlife organizations to obtain assistance for ranchers to rebuild and sustain ranching operations throughout Gila County. These efforts have also been noticed. In the words of GCCGA ranchers, “He (Mike) took over at a really hard time with fires etc. He did a great job. Tonto NRCD needed a Gila County rancher to help oversee the monitoring of ranches in Gila County. We asked Mike to do that, and he has done a great job and he put in a lot of time & effort.”


“Mike has led and been a part of the GCCGA officers for 8 years and the BOD (Board of Directors) for a long time. Always willing to help out and sound out for our rights as allotment owners on federal lands.”


Thank you, Mike for your many years of leadership and support of the GCCGA and the ranching industry.


Dave

Womack

2020 Wrangler of the Year

Dave Womack has been instrumental in the process and development of water and conservation projects on many allotments across the Tonto National Forest. These projects, associated with water distribution, allows ranchers to distribute cattle to areas that previously did not have a water source. His knowledge of the conservation program and range allows for a greater understanding of what the rancher needs. Dave goes beyond what the agency expects of him.


After obtaining a Bachelors Degree in Wildlife Management and a Masters Degree in Range Management from the University of Arizona, Dave has served 22 years with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Arizona including field offices in Tucson, Springerville, and San Carlos. He is currently NRCS Range Management Specialist in the Tucson Area Office. Born in Globe, AZ and raised in Mammoth, AZ, Dave is the father of 2 adult children.


In his own words, “I have been blessed to be able to work with ranchers in Gila County and central Arizona on conservation projects to improve grazing management or restore grasslands with brush management and have been more blessed than I deserve providing service to agricultural producers in the region where was born and where I was raised.”


Gila County Cattle Growers Association thanks you, Dave, for going the extra mile for our ranchers.


Dave

Womack

2020 Wrangler of the Year

Dave Womack has been instrumental in the process and development of water and conservation projects on many allotments across the Tonto National Forest. These projects, associated with water distribution, allows ranchers to distribute cattle to areas that previously did not have a water source. His knowledge of the conservation program and range allows for a greater understanding of what the rancher needs. Dave goes beyond what the agency expects of him.


After obtaining a Bachelors Degree in Wildlife Management and a Masters Degree in Range Management from the University of Arizona, Dave has served 22 years with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Arizona including field offices in Tucson, Springerville, and San Carlos. He is currently NRCS Range Management Specialist in the Tucson Area Office. Born in Globe, AZ and raised in Mammoth, AZ, Dave is the father of 2 adult children.


In his own words, “I have been blessed to be able to work with ranchers in Gila County and central Arizona on conservation projects to improve grazing management or restore grasslands with brush management and have been more blessed than I deserve providing service to agricultural producers in the region where was born and where I was raised.”


Gila County Cattle Growers Association thanks you, Dave, for going the extra mile for our ranchers.