Cedar Creek Ranch near Grenville, N. Mex., is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and Richard and Connie Snyder seem to like it that way. Nestled in the northeast corner of the Land of Enchantment, the 30,000-acre Thoroughbred, cattle, and tourist operation is 40 miles from the nearest grocery store in Clayton and farther from the bigger town of Raton. But the Snyders are luring visitors to their breeding shed by standing some well-bred stud horses such as Aeneas, a son of Capote; Banbury Cross, by Storm Cat; and Irish Road, by Unbridled’s Song. A fourth stallion, Star Cat (by Storm Cat), stands in Indiana.
Hundreds of years ago Comanche, Apache, and Ute tribes roamed the area, followed by Mexican settlers in the 18th century. The Gallegos and Cedros creeks made the land attractive for raising livestock, and Richard’s father, Fred, purchased the ranch in 1940.
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