James Delmar Baker, DVM, worked hard in school to make good grades and played basketball. After high school went to Casper College on a basketball scholarship and was the college’s first student to major in Pre-Veterinary Science. When he transferred to the vet medicine program at Colorado State University in Fort. Collins, he continued with their rodeo team in steer wrestling, calf roping, and ribbon roping; after an injury he quit bulldogging and began team roping. After college he and Dr. Keith Doing built a new Animal Clinic in Casper. Doc Baker initially treated all types of animals, but soon concentrated on large animals. After closing the vet practice, 20 years later, he bought the Split Rock Ranch, near Muddy Gap. It consisted of about 200 sections and Jim made many improvements. In 2000, the ranch won the Environmental Stewardship Award. Having a ranch of his own, was a lifelong dream, of Jim’s.