We are frequently asked what type of ranchers are we? Are we horse ranchers with cattle, or cattle ranchers with horses? Most people assume, because we have approximately 80 head of horses, that we are horse people. We are not. We are multi-generational cattle ranchers. If anyone ever wants to read about our history, we have a brief write-up on our website under the history tab- https://ktranch.com/history/ This may seem like an insignificant distinction, but to us, it is important to recognize where we are, how we got here, and what our future holds, which will always be cattle. Our priority will always be the cattle sector of our ranch. But, Toni does tell people that the horses take up 5 times more of our time and expens as the cattle do, however, that is mine and her time, Ben and Kicker spend the majority of their time with the cattle, alfalfa and circle repair. The month of May is such an important month to cattle ranches as it is Beef month. When you are faced with which protein to buy at the store, please remember that cattle ranchers everywhere thank the everyday consumer and appreciate you helping us stay in business! I could go on and on about the benefits of beef to the environment, to diets, to our everyday life, but I won’t this time. Just know that beef is whats for dinner, and we thank you for helping to keep it that way.
Monday was a beautiful day. Kristy came out in the morning to look at Gen, Bell’s colt. She brought a couple of ladies with her and I hear they had a great tour of the ranch. Toni had court, which she was out in record time, 3 minutes. Toni also took mom to get her glasses on Monday. Kaine had baseball pictures on Monday night, and of course he forgot his form and money at our house, luckily Maria had an extra form and paid for him. Mar and Leslie brought Mar’s mare out to breed to Bishop Monday night. He thought she was in heat but Bishop did not agree, so they left her. We had a meeting Monday night for mom and her colt, we all had to come up with a name, and mom picked one, and then mom decided on what to price her colt at. Lona is mom’s horse, so KT Doc Hollywood is moms. Just ask her, she will tell you it is true. Toni had a late meeting Monday night to get some of our farming stuff figured out, which she made progress. Toni is also wanting to starting fencing projects again, but we are ignoring her since there is just NOT enough time in the day.
More rain on Tuesday, we like the rain, it makes our desert grass grow. Again, no new foals. Keshia and Ana from the Fantasy Stables and Fantasy Ranch board games came out to take pictures of the foals for advertising and cards in the games. Gunner is a featured stallion in Fantasy Ranch, and there are a number of his foals in the game. Colonel, Goldy, Shasta and Shiney are all on the back of the cards, as well as on the top of one of the rules pages. Dude is on the top of the one of the cards. And two of our horses are also on the cover that are owned by Western Pleasure Guest Ranch, which is one of the ranches featured in the game. The girls got some good pictures, but the weather wasn’t great. Even with the junky weather, they took about 3000 pictures. We are really excited to see the pictures when they are done editing.
We woke up to a cute buckskin filly on Wednesday out of Pepper and by Gunner. Toni had a conference call first thing then headed out to check. There were not any other foals. Wednesday was the only day Toni didn’t have a set ranch project to complete, so she decided to try and get some of her actual job work done. Kade had boy scouts Wednesday night, he got to cook a meal and set up a tent, so Toni ran him into that. Kaine, Anna, Jaxsen and I finished up chores and went and started digging a post hole. Toni got there when we were ¾ done. After we buried the post Leslie showed up to get Mar’s mare, so Kaine, Anna and I left and left Toni and Sonny to help Les.
No foals Thursday, Toni took Whim into Dr Sorenson at Sagehill Vet Clinic to get cut, she also took an outside mare, Livvy, in who cut her leg and an Angus bull in for a semen recheck. Lucy the puppy needed some more puppy shots, so she got to go which made her happy as she thinks she needs to go everywhere with Toni. Toni had a conference call starting at 10 and made it back from dropping the animals off with 6 minutes to spare. Then she had to go between clients to go pick them back up. This was Whim’s second time being loaded in a trailer and his first ride in the trailer. Again, such an awesome awesome mind on this guy. The bull was in the front compartment and he had to load next to a yearling bull.
Thursday we also got an email from our cousin Jodi, cousin on our dad’s side. Her dad, our uncle Walt, passed away from Prostate cancer, and her mom also was a victim of cancer, our aunt Janet. Jodi is participating in a ZeroProstate Cancer walk/run to bring awareness. Currently our Grandpa has prostate cancer, our great Uncle Don has prostate cancer, our neighbor Bob, and of course our uncle Walt died from it. Click here to view the team page for Pierson Pride
Thursday night we packed the trailer and tackbox for our trip to E-burg and the Angus Preview. Planning ahead this time we actually got everything we needed in the tackbox so no one had to make an emergency run to a feed store for provisions.
Friday we woke up to a cute brown colt by KT Reed Me a Double and out of Piper. The kids went to a half day of school and then we headed to E-burg to the Angus show. We checked in, check into our motel, got the heifers settled in and washed. Then we went and had dinner at Ellensburg Pasta (since Lyyski’s were not there to take us out) and back to the motel. The kids swam a little while in the pool then we had an early night since we were having an early morning.
Saturday we got up at 4:30, got to the barn and got the girls washed and ready to show. It was no fit showmanship, so we did not have to fit until after. Anna and Kade both made it back to the championship round in showmanship, and Anna was the Reserve Champion Junior Showman. Kade’s bred and owned heifer was Reserve Champion in her division. Anna’s May heifer was Reserve Champion in her division. Both of Kaine’s heifers made it back to the championship round, Jaxsen’s heifer made it back to the championship round, and Kade’s second heifer being third in her class, so one spot from making it back. We had a great show, all the kids brought home a check. Jax had significant improvement in his showmanship skills from the first class to his third class. He has decided he wants to beat his brother. That is a big goal!
Sunday Payton had a cute brown colt by Bishop. We got the mares in on Sunday to move Lona and Piper out with Leroy. We hauled Pepper out to Gunners pen. We caught and washed the heifers and caught the steers. Sunday was a long day, but we got what we needed to get done, done. Now the start of a busy week. The countdown has started for the school year to be over. The kids are already working on their steers after school, and I think may have summeritis already. We would like those last mares to foal so we could count spring as over and summer as here! Looking forward to summer weather and lots of new friends coming to look at foals.
KT Ranch 
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