Working Ranch Magazine March/April 2025

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University — after completing his years in higher education, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he has served since 2008. He is an Infantry Officer and Major in the Reserves with the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, “The Lone Star Battalion.” Clement notes that the skills and lessons he has learned from being a Marine are extremely applicable to ranching. “The Marine Corps teaches you to ride for the brand in a big way,” said Clement. The development process during his time as a Marine is similar to how he has stepped into bigger roles in his ranching career. He explains that he was enlisted first and became an officer later. Similarly to his ranching background he worked as a cowboy in cow camps on the King Ranch and took on managerial roles as he got older. “Marine Corps culture is very similar to cowboy culture. You have the people that stay enlisted, that’s the cowboys, then you have the Officer Corps, that’s From cow camp to boot camp, this Texan is serving the land in many ways.

Division Manager at the King Ranch for ten years. Clement strengthened the commercial sales and market ing of the horse program. Under his unique vision and leadership, the ranch won the prestigious 2019 American Quarter Horse Association Best Remuda Award and bred its first ranch-raised world champion, With his deep roots in agriculture, he always knew he wanted to be a rancher, but Clement has taken a dif ferent approach to his goal of one day being able to ‘just ranch.’ He believes in effective diversification for both his life and ranching. This is evident through the path he took to reach this goal. Clement earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media Studies from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. While at Goucher he played Lacrosse for four years. He then received his MBA from Cornell Coronel Del Rancho. DIVERSIFICATION

man with over four hundred years of combined family ranching experience is work ing to further that legacy for his children through agri cultural technology and sus tainability. James Clement III

BACKGROUND IMAGE: W.SCOTT MCGILL | DREAMSTIME.COM

is a rancher, Marine, businessman, hus band, father, and leader in agricultural technology development. Clement, his wife Paige, and their two children reside in Kingsville, Texas. His ranching heritage spreads on both sides of his family as he is a sixth-generation rancher on his father’s side at the historic King Ranch in South Texas and a fifth-gen eration rancher on his mother’s side at the equally historic Beggs Cattle Company which spans six West Texas counties. Clement plays an active role in Beggs Cattle Company by serving on the management board, running the hunting operation, and supporting other projects. He worked as the Land Resources and Horse

Riding for the Brand

RAHM CARRINGTON

BY ADDIE BROWN

44 I MARCH 2025 WORKING RANCH audited readers run 21 million head of beef cattle.