Russell True – White Stallion Ranch
White Stallion Ranch has humble roots as it began as a “squatter’s ranch” sometime in the very early 1900s. David Young, who homesteaded the ranch in 1936, picked the location because it already had a house, corrals, and a well. Max Zimmerman, who was known in Chicago as “Max the Hat” for the big cowboy hat he wore in his Zimmerman’s Liquor, the world’s largest, added Dude Ranching when he built 6 cottages for guests. Max renamed the ranch for his brand, the M Z Bar. The next owner was Mary Varner, who, along with her sister Victoria, ran M Z Bar as a dude ranch and also as long-term rentals for Air Force officers stationed at Marana Army Airbase (now Pinal Airpark). A couple of “Dudes”, Brew and Marge Towne, had such a life-changing vacation at the Lazy K Bar Ranch just over the Tucson Mountains that they talked Mary into selling her ranch to them in 1958. They were excited about the new name for the ranch, Black Stallion until someone made Brew a bola with the initials (BS) of the new ranch. That wouldn’t work, and at the last minute, the ranch became White Stallion. In 1965, with a late Spring blizzard in Denver pushing Allen True south to Tucson, he went looking for a new life and found the ranch among 4 dude ranches for sale in Tucson. Talking his wife Cynthia into the idea proved to be a challenge, but eventually, she said, “If I can look at those mountains every morning when I wake up, you can throw our lives away.” The deal was made, and they spent the rest of their lives there. Their two sons, Russell and Michael, and their wives own and operate the ranch that has grown from 200 to 3000 acres, 17 rooms to 44, with a spa, meeting facilities, game room, varied activities, and entertainment. The ranch has received several national and international awards over the last several years.