Mesa County, Colorado

Mesa County is one of the 64 counties of the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the population was 146,723. The county seat is Grand Junction. The county was named for the many large mesas in the area, including Grand Mesa.

Mesa County comprises the Grand Junction, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,341 square miles (8,650 km²), of which 3,329 square miles (8,620 km²) is land and 12 square miles (31 km²) (0.4%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county by area in Colorado.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Colorado

Colorado (ⁱ/kɒləˈrædoʊ/, or /kɒləˈrɑːdoʊ/) (Spanish for "ruddy") is a state in the United States encompassing most of the Southern Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. Colorado is part of the Western United States, the Southwestern United States, and the Mountain States. Colorado is the 8th most extensive and the 22nd most populous of the 50 United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Colorado was 5,456,574 on July 1, 2015, an increase of 8.50% since the 2010 United States Census.

The state was named for the Colorado River, which Spanish travelers named the Río Colorado for the ruddy (Spanish: colorado) silt the river carried from the mountains. The Territory of Colorado was organized on February 28, 1861, and on August 1, 1876, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed Proclamation 230 admitting Colorado to the Union as the 38th state. Colorado is nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it became a state 28 days after the centennial of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Colorado wine

Colorado wine refers to wine made from grapes grown in the U.S. state of Colorado. Most of Colorado's vineyards are located on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, though an increasing number of wineries are located along the Front Range.

Geography and climate

Colorado's grape growing regions contain some of the highest elevation vineyards in the world, with most viticulture in the state practiced between 4,000 feet (1,219 m) and 7,000 feet (2,134 m) feet above sea level. The mountain climate ensures warm summer days and cool nights. Colorado is home to two designated American Viticultural Areas of the Grand Valley AVA and the West Elks AVA, where most of the vineyards in the state are located. Approximately 100 commercial wineries operate in Colorado and about 1,000 acres (405 ha) are planted to grapevines. Other wine regions include: the Four Corners area near Cortez, near Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, and Durango; Pikes Peak/Arkansas River Valley near Salida, Canon City, and Manitou Springs; and the Front Range between Fort Collins and Castle Rock, with many wineries located in the Denver metropolitan area.

Colorado (horse)

Colorado (1923–1929) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He won the 2000 Guineas in 1926 and the Eclipse Stakes in 1927. He was also noted for his rivalry with the Derby winner Coronach whom he defeated on three of their four meetings.

Background

Until the emergence of Fairway at the end of the decade, Colorado was regarded as the best racehorse sired by Phalaris, who became the most influential stallion of the 20th Century. His dam, Canyon, won the 1000 Guineas in 1916 and was a successful broodmare. In addition to Colorado she produced the Eclipse Stakes winner Caerleon.

He was a small, but powerfully built colt standing just over 15 hands, known to be a particular favourite of his owner, Lord Derby. He was trained at Lord Derby's Stanley House stable by George Lambton who found him a difficult horse to prepare because of his habit of "choking" in exercise gallops.

Racing career

1925: two-year-old season

Colorado was a leading two-year-old in 1925, winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. In the Free Handicap, an official assessment of the year's two-year-olds, Colorado was assesses on 118lbs, eight pounds below the joint topweights Coronach and Legatee.