The Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch carefully selects each of their 21 employees to be sure each adheres to the high quality standards and expectations of your hosts, Jerry and Cheri. Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch Employees are there to ensure that you and your family have a very memorable vacation and with a guest to staff ratio of 2:1, we are quite able to give our guests the individual attention they deserve.

Jerry and Cheri Helmicki, Your Hosts

Since 1995, this amazing couple of 40 years has owned the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch and have called Colorado home.  Born and raised in Michigan, Jerry traveled the country as a sales manager for a large direct marketing corporation.  Cheri was a high school physical education teacher and a track, cross country and swimming coach.  After leaving the corporate life in Detroit and with an intense love for the outdoors, Jerry and Cheri decided to pursue their life- long dream of owning a Colorado guest ranch.

With their daughter (now a lawyer) in tow, they exchanged their commuter passes for horse saddles. "Coming from Corporate America, which is stressful and all-consuming, we understand the importance of allowing guests to experience one week out of 52 that is quiet, refreshing and rejuvenating". Owning the guest ranch combines everything they enjoy most – people, outdoor activities and horses – and it gives them the opportunity to put others in touch with the wonders of nature.

The payoff for this incredible couple is watching the adults tear-up as they leave the ranch. Jerry explains, "They tell us that they didn’t realize how important the week would ultimately become to their family".

You'll find Jerry and Cheri an integral part of your ranch week. One of their favorite times is sitting out on the patio with their guests after one of Jerry's All-Day rides or Cheri's guided hikes to enjoy a cool beverage and laugh over the day's favorite memories. Come see for yourself why Bar Lazy J was awarded the Best Ranch Hosts in the country in the Signature Ranch Awards!

The Yurich Family, Ranch Managers and Official "Ranch Kids"!

When Tammy joined the Bar Lazy J staff in 1999 as a Children's Wrangler, she could never have guessed she'd find her life-long passion. In 2003, Chad joined the wrangling staff as well and after a year of Co-Managing the barn, the two were married in 2005. Chad served as the ranch's Head Wrangler for many years until taking a full-time position as a Patrol Lieutenant in the county. Three ranch kids later, they all continue to be a significant part of the ranch. In the winter, Tammy handles the office and the ranch's winter needs. Although we are closed, there is quite a bit daily to be done in preparation for our summer months. You'll most likely speak with Tammy if you're calling to inquire about a week and she's always ready to answer any questions you may have. During the season, Tammy and Chad serve as our Ranch Managers and oversee many of the day to day operations of the ranch. Their three kiddos have worked alongside them since they were small and you'll find them helping in almost every department throughout the week. You'll be sure to quickly get to know them all!

Adam Vosding, Chef

Adam Vosding, who many know as “The Traveling Food Dude”, will be moving into the position of head chef for the 2024 season! This will be his 5th season with the ranch and we’re so thrilled to have him returning. He comes to us originally from Canada and started under Chef Eddie as kitchen assistant and fell in love with Bar Lazy J. His love for great food shines in the kitchen and he constantly brings new dishes, sauces and soups to our guests that they absolutely love. Adam is extremely dedicated and organized, is loved by our guests and we are so fortunate to have him taking the reins! He loves to travel with his loyal companion, Holland the pup. If you want to follow their adventures, Adam posts a blog related to their travels and food and Holland even has her own fan club! This winter Adam traveled to Arizona to help a fellow guest ranch that needed a mid-season replacement, but we're so happy to have him back for the season! We can’t say enough about the kind, caring and talented individual Chef Adam is and we’re grateful for all that he’s contributed over all these years to our ranch family. He definitely “rides for the brand” and we can’t wait for you to enjoy his delicious dishes this summer!

Kat Richardson, Head Wrangler/Barn Manager

The Bar Lazy J was fortunate enough to hire Head Wrangler, Kat Richardson this summer as our Head Wrangler and we couldn't be happier! Originally from Charlotte, it took no time to see that her passion and talent for working with both the horses and our guests would make her a great asset to our program. Kat was previously the head wrangler at Laramie River Ranch before they closed their doors and has worked as a vet tech out west before she decided she missed the equine world too much. Already, her love and care for our herd shows in every horse and we're so fortunate to have her as our Head Wrangler/Barn Manager this season. Make sure you say hello and if you want to more about our feed program or horses, she's always happy to answer questions. You'll find she's passionate about our herd and loves sharing that passion with our guests. She hopes to see you on the trail!

Jordan Bush, Hospitality Manager

Jordan started as our Lodge Hostess in 2023 and we quickly knew we wanted her to stay! Originally from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, she's worked a variety of hospitality jobs over the years and decided she was ready to follow her dream of coming out West. This season she'll be leading our Crew and Kitchen teams in making sure many of the details of your stay are perfect for you. She'll also be whipping up her special drinks at all of the ranch social hours and helping serve a hot meal on our Breakfast Ride mornings. If you have any questions during your stay, be sure to ask and she'll be happy to help you! In her off time, Jordan like hike, play disc golf and ride our ranch horses. Now that she's found seasonal ranch work, she's decided to split her time working at winter ranches in Arizona where she'll be a wrangler as well. She can literally do it all and we're so happy she found her way to Bar Lazy J and we know you'll love her as much as we do!

Employment Opportunities

We're always looking for friendly and hard-working individuals to join our team. We suggest getting your application in as close to the New Year as possible to be considered for the following season. Please check out our blog post, “So You Want to Work at a Dude Ranch”, and if interested, fill out our Employment Application Form.