A rancher from Desboro has claimed the $60-million Lotto Max jackpot.

Joan Patterson learned just last week she had won the jackpot in the Feb. 5 draw.

"I bought my ticket then went on holiday and never gave it a thought," said Patterson in a news release. "I love horses and this was a riding vacation in Arizona."

Twelve days after the draw, Joan finally checked her ticket.

"I walked up to the kiosk, slipped the ticket into the ticket checker, saw the words 'big winner' and just stared at all those zeros,” says Patterson. “I whispered to myself ‘I did win it.’ The mall was pretty quiet so I handed the ticket to the girl at the counter.”

“When she saw the prize amount, her eyes widened and she put her hands up to her mouth. I leaned over the counter and told her – ‘please don't say a word.’"

Joan told her husband right away.

"Jim thought I was kidding until he saw the look on my face," she said. "Later at home, we laughed and hugged then went back to work. We run a small ranch and there were animals to feed."

Joan and Jim have five horses, three miniature donkeys named Rose, Daphne and Benjamin, plus Penny the mule, three dogs and two cats.

"My dream right now is to re-fence the ranch," said Patterson.

She is also eyeing something with a very different kind of horsepower.

"I would love a silver Corvette convertible," she said.

Her husband has a few ideas too.

"He wants an RV with all the bells and whistles so we can head out on our next great adventure, maybe a trip west and go where other cowboys go."

The winning ticket was purchased at Grant's Your Independent Grocer in Hanover.

John Henry, from Mississauga, also won a $60 million Lotto Max jackpot, OLG announced on Wednesday.