One of the world's largest celebrities is retiring to Wyoming after years of sweating and sweltering in a California desert.
Guapo, a giant 3,000-pound Holstein steer that's been featured in a series of popular children's books, is retiring from the Coachella Valley in California's Low Desert to a 3-acre ranch near Rozet in Campbell County.
That’s where one of the largest steers in the world will spend his golden years.
"It's just going to be heaven for us," Lynn Jamerson, Guapo's owner and rescuer, told Cowboy State Daily. "Guapo and his friends will have their very best lives in Wyoming, and I can't tell you how excited we are."
Colossal Fame
Jamerson has been rescuing animals in California for nearly 50 years. She found Guapo in "a desperate situation" eight years ago.
"We got a call about a desperate situation," she said. "A mama cow was trying to nurse a bunch of poor little calves. I didn't know anything about cows at the time and knew I could only take one of them."
Guapo was "skin and bones" when Jamerson first saw him. He immediately approached her and put her hand in his mouth.
"And I said, OK, I guess you're the one.' And the story goes from there," she said.
Once back on the Guapo and Friends Rescue Ranch, the Holstein calf kept growing and growing. Guapo now stands 6 feet, 2 inches tall at the shoulder, is nearly 11 feet long, and weighs around 3,000 pounds.
“He is probably one of the oldest living super-sized steers in the world, if not the largest, and probably the third largest,” Jamerson said.
Gentle Giant
Despite his intimidating size, Jamerson said Guapo's defining characteristic is his exceedingly gentle nature.
"He is the sweetest steer in the world, there's no doubt," she said. "He's so big and scary to a lot of people, but I've never felt any aggression from Guapo. I don't think he has it in his bones."
When journalist and author Janet Zappala met the super-sized steer, she was inspired to write a children's book about Guapo's story. The book “Guapo's Giant Heart: The True Story of the Calf Who Kept Growing” was published in 2022, and its sequel, “Guapo's Stories: Guapo's Great Rescue,” won a 2024 Family Choice Award.
"(Zappala) didn't do the books for money or anything like that," Jamerson said. "She wrote these books because she felt how special and kind he is. She did this out of the goodness of her heart, and the books are just adorable."
Jamerson added that Guapo is also a fan of the author of his books.
"That's his auntie," she said. "(Zappala) wrote these books because he's so special. She comes and visits him, and he's in love with her."
Guapo is a huge 3,000-pound steer Lynn Jamerson rescued about eight years ago. The gentle giant has been featured in a couple of popular children's books, but now will retire to Wyoming from California. (Courtesy Lynn Jamerson) 
Guapo is a huge 3,000-pound steer Lynn Jamerson rescued about eight years ago. The gentle giant has been featured in a couple of popular children's books, but now will retire to Wyoming from California. (Courtesy Lynn Jamerson) 
Guapo is a huge 3,000-pound steer Lynn Jamerson rescued about eight years ago. The gentle giant has been featured in a couple of popular children's books, but now will retire to Wyoming from California. (Courtesy Lynn Jamerson) 
Guapo is a huge 3,000-pound steer Lynn Jamerson rescued about eight years ago. The gentle giant has been featured in a couple of popular children's books, but now will retire to Wyoming from California. Guapo is pictured with Jamerson at left and children's book author Janet Zappala at right. (Courtesy Lynn Jamerson) 
Guapo is a huge 3,000-pound steer Lynn Jamerson rescued about eight years ago. The gentle giant has been featured in a couple of popular children's books, but now will retire to Wyoming from California. (Courtesy Lynn Jamerson)
Can't Take The Heat
Guapo has been living with other rescued animals in the Coachella Valley for several years. However, Jamerson said the gentle giant is struggling in the unrelenting heat.
"It is seriously too hot for Guapo in California, and it's gotten harder and harder on him," she said. "One of the challenges with my boy is his joints. When you're that colossally big, his joints have a hard time. And I've got him on all kinds of supplements, and he's doing OK now, but he needs a change."
To keep Guapo happy and healthy in his golden years, Jamerson decided to find a new home for the steer and her menagerie of rescued animals. Her sister-in-law, who was living with her family in Buffalo, recommended Wyoming.
Jamerson was immediately interested in moving him to the Cowboy State.
"When I was a kid, I always said I was going move to Wyoming or Montana," she said. "I'm 62 years old now, so it took a while. But we're coming."
Jamerson found a 3-acre ranch near Rozet that has plenty of room for Guapo, a group of burros, a goat named Bambi and Big Red, a thoroughbred horse. They all live on the Guapo and Friends Rescue Ranch. She hopes to move her menagerie to Wyoming at the beginning of September.
Jamerson has started a GoFundMe to raise money for animal feed and supplements for her animals. Guapo alone usually eats 100 pounds of hay daily, besides his other feed.
"We have 1 acre in California that we split between everyone," she said. "Now they will have a lot more room to roam. We will have a heated barn for them in the winter and get the perfect setup going."
He'll See You Now
Jamerson is confident Guapo will be more comfortable in Wyoming than he has been in California. Once he's here, she said the giant celebrity steer will be more than happy to host meet-and-greets with his fans.
"He loves visitors," she said. "People can't believe how big he is until they're right up next to him, and he has a soft spot for children. He always goes to the fence and puts his nose right out there so they can pet him. Everyone sees that this guy is something else. It's pretty special."
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
