Crighton Ranch named North Dakota Stockmen’s Association’s Rancher of the Year

Posted 09/27/2025

For immediate release:

Sept. 26, 2025

For more information, contact:

Randy Schmitt, NDSA president: (701) 537-3440 • [email protected]

Julie Schaff Ellingson, NDSA executive vice president: (701) 223-2522 • [email protected]

Crighton Ranch named North Dakota Stockmen's Association's Rancher of the Year

The North Dakota Stockmen's Association (NDSA) presented the Crighton Ranch of McKenzie County with its 2025 Rancher of the Year Award during the annual banquet at the organization's 96th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Minot, N.D., this evening.

David Lee and Nancy Crighton and their daughter, Nikki Winter, run the cow-calf operation. The Crightons are 40-year NDSA members.

David Lee's Uncle Ronald Crighton homesteaded on the east side of the Little Missouri River, across the water from where David Lee grew up. David Lee's Grandpa Dave ran that homestead until the Crightons bought their current place on the west side of the river.

Crightons ran on both sides of the river for a while, eventually selling the east place and buying a second place on the west side, north of David Lee's present location. "My grandparents lived where I do and my folks had the place to the north, where my brother, Ronny, is," David Lee said. "My dad ran the whole deal until I got old enough to take over my grandma's. When my brother got old enough, he took over my dad's. Once my brother and I were both in business, we split up to make things a little easier on the bookkeeping, but we're only three miles apart and we still work together all the time."

David Lee's Grandpa Dave had been born in Springfield, Mo., in 1897. He married Mamie Wells in 1929. He had a son, Davey - David Lee's father - and two stepchildren. Tragically, Dave was killed in a car wreck in 1960. Davey was 29 at the time and "the whole thing was dumped on him," David Lee said of his father taking over the ranching duties. "The place hasn't changed much since then," he said. "We still do everything about the same way."

David Lee and Nancy met while attending school in Sidney, Mont., where Nancy's father, Henry "Hank" Stip, ran a rendering plant and raised elk. She attended a year of college at Dickinson and Williston before she and David Lee married in June 1975. "My dad was running two places and he needed help, so we just came right here and took over my grandma's place. It's been good," David Lee said. "We've had dry years and good years, low markets and high markets, I guess just like everybody else."

The Crightons live along the Little Missouri River in Hay Draw, where the terrain includes Badlands and river bottom. "Our fields are pretty small and really crooked along the creeks," David Lee grinned, "but you don't go too far and it opens up." Their herd is now Angus.

The couple has three adult children. Their oldest daughter, Bobbi Jo Lonski, a nurse, and her husband Nick, a financial adviser, and their children, Owen, Alexa, Eli and Oaklee, live nearby. Their son, David Scott, known as "Scott," his wife Lara and their children, David Calvin and Julia, live in Glendive, Mont., where Scott is an oilfield consultant and Lara co-owns a screen-printing business. Bobbi Jo, Scott and their families enjoy helping on the Crighton Ranch as needed and time allows.

Many ranch hands have come and gone and shared in the success of the ranch, including TJ Bratsberg. David Lee's and Nancy's nephew, Emmett Johnson, currently lives nearby and helps the Crightons.

Crightons' youngest daughter is Nikki. David Lee explained, "She runs the ranch with us. She's our partner, and she'll be taking over as we retire." Nikki is married to David Winter, and they live on the Winter Ranch. They have three children, Elice, Ivy and Wiley.

Crighton cattle are branded with the "OT-Bar" on the right rib. "That was my grandpa's brand and I guess I bought that when I bought the cows," he said. "I didn't change anything." They also have registered brands called the "inverted TO" and the "IC," both on the right hip, but, for simplicity's sake in vast common pastures, they brand all of the cattle with the "OT-Bar."

Crightons are McKenzie County Grazing Association members. "All our summer grazing is on federal lands in a common pasture," David Lee explained. Ten individual grazing association members run in a pasture that covers about 40 sections, or 25,000 acres, and can run 1,608 head of cattle. "When it gets to be shipping time, we got to have about five days to get gathered and get them somewhere where we can ship from," he said. "All our neighbors come and help us gather, and then we go back and help them gather in their pastures. We're pretty dependent on our neighbors." Nancy added, "We are a really tight neighborhood. They help. We help." David Lee has served many years on the grazing board, attending the association's almost monthly meetings.

NDSA Honorary Recognition Committee Member Mark Voll of Sidney, Mont., said, "David Lee Crighton is a good thinker and excellent stockman. He and Nancy have successfully passed these traits down to their family."

NDSA President Randy Schmitt concluded, "The Crighton Ranch is the epitome of all that the NDSA represents, and the family well deserves this prestigious award."

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