Angus McPhee was born August 9, 1874, in Cheyenne. His parents were Donald and Catherine McKechnie McPhee. In 1891, he became foreman for the R.S. Van Tassel Ranch at Islay. He had gained his riding experience on his family ranch and working for the military. He was also the mail messenger for Islay in 1889. In 1894-1896, Angus was hired as a rider and trick roper in the traveling Buffalo Bill Wild West Show.
In December 1897, he went to Alaska with the military as master of the Camp Carlin pack train. He also went to Cuba and Puerto Rico as a government packer in 1898, the same year he married Wyoming native Della Talbot. By 1904, Angus was managing the Union Pacific stock yard in Cheyenne, which he continued to do until 1907.
McPhee won the maverick branding contest at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1905 and two years later became the “roping champion of the world” at the same event. Watching that contest was Hawaii promoter and paniolo Eben Low. He hired Angus to star in a Wild West Show in Hawaii in January 1908. Angus loved the Islands and resided there the rest of his life working on the Parker Ranch with the top paniolos, including Ikua Purdy, before becoming the manager of the 18,000-acre Ulupalakua Ranch on Maui.
McPhee would later manage Kahakuloa Ranch in Wailuku. He also owned and operated the Bismarck Stables there and managed thousands of cattle for the Maui Agricultural Company from 1930 to 1938 before returning to the Kahakuloa Ranch, where he worked until at least 1940, when he was 65 years old. Angus died July 16, 1948, at his home on Maui.