Welcome to the Ranch!

A number of horse trailers parked along the rocky road in the front pasture of Cross Creek Cattle Company made for an interesting sight for passersby Sunday afternoon. We were hosting the 2012 Fall Trail Ride for the Grimes County Jr. Deputy Sheriff Mounted Posse.

This is the third consecutive year we have had the pleasure of hosting such a fun day for the youth of our community. We had a wide range of ages and horsemanship abilities. From young beginning riders to older retired cowboys, the trail ride was enjoyed by all.

It was a beautiful, clear day. Our ranch manager, Lane, along with Kyla and Jake, who are also members of the Posse, spent several hours choosing a trail and clearing a path. They wanted to make it challenging and interesting. The trail ride crossed pastures, opened and closed several gates, went through heavily wooded areas, through deep, dry creeks, and up hills. They rode at the home ranch, which is our original place, for two hours.

Once every one dismounted and cared for their horses, we ate turkey legs and corn on the cob. The food was donated and greatly appreciated. Kyla baked four batches of brownies for dessert. Needless to say, nobody went home hungry.

Kenton and Cathey Holliday, the owners of Cross Creek Cattle Company, are proud sponsors of the Grimes County Posse. We are thrilled that our ranch provided a fun and safe day for horses and riders.

Last Saturday, we went on a trail ride around our new ranch. We saddled up six horses and packed up a picnic lunch. Then we headed out for an adventure.

First we selected a perfect setting for a picnic lunch. We sat in the shade of a tree in a meadow that was once a hay field. The grass is just beginning to grow to the point were it slumps over by the weight of its head. The gentle breeze stirred the grasses into a swaying dance. Butterflies fluttered around, checking out the wildflowers and even landed briefly on Cathey’s arm. We sat overlooking a tree-rimmed duck pond with still water. Picturesque is the only word to describe it.

After eating a light lunch of apple slices, grapes, nuts, and cheese, we each mounted our horse. Isaac and Andrew, our youngest boys, rode in tandem saddles behind my husband and myself. We began our ride through wooded pastures, across mud, through standing water, by a large lake, down creeks, and through pastures painted with tons of wildflowers.

I personally could not get over the latter. Even so close to our home ranch, the new property held different flora than we are familiar with like red honeysuckle, Indian grass, and Texas stars. There were a few more flowers I did not recognize, but will need to consult my Texas wildflower book in order to properly identify them. The open pastures were filled with a mixture of different wildflowers. I have never in my life seen so many wine cups or such big butter cups. It was like walking through a sea of purple and pink.

We also ate our first wild dewberries of the season. Sweet and tart, the juice bursts in your mouth between your teeth. Cathey dismounted her horse, Shania, and began picking them for all of us to eat. We have one horse in particular, Cheyenne, who loves a berry or two for herself.

In addition to the flowers and berries, as we walked through the woods, wild ferns skirted the path filling the empty spaces between the trees along the ground. The bright green foliage was a beautiful contrast against the orange pine needles littering the ground.

Isaac, who rode behind me, asked me, “How does PawPaw know what everything is?” His question was sparked because my dad was a walking flower and plant guide on our ride. He easily identified most of the flora we came across. I explained to Isaac that it comes from being observant and inquisitive and that he too can learn the names of the plants and animals, too.

In fact I began pointing out plants, flowers, and trees and asking him what they were. He surprised himself when he realized that he knew a bunch of the names of the flora already. Names like pine trees, bluebonnets, wild onions, butter cups, etc.

As we finished up our ride, we climbed a high hill to survey the view. The view was breath-taking as your eyes scanned the treeline, the pastures, and the waterways from on top of the hill. You felt like you were on top of the world. My only regret of the day was not bringing along my camera, but the images I saw are forever etched in my memory. What a beautiful day!

Zorra (Cathey) and her horse, Shania

We had such a great time last Saturday!  Our trail ride was so much fun.  It was a beautiful, slightly cool afternoon.  The horses felt great and did a wonderful job crossing the creeks, cutting through the woods, and walking through open pastures.  We had experienced riders as well as beginners ride the trail and all did a great job.

Isaac is catching a ride with an Indian (Kyla) on her painted horse, Dolly. To the right is Jake as a deer hunter.

For me, the best part of the evening was seeing everyone come dressed up to the ride.  When the costume contest was first announced, I did not think that the Posse members would actually dress up.  Boy was I wrong.

Most people came in costume.  We had rodeo contestants, Indians, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, a deer hunter, a Western outlaw, and a gypsy.  Cathey Holliday came as a female Zorro.  She was my personal favorite; although, my daughter Kyla looked pretty authentic as a Native American.  Kyla researched actual symbols that Indians would paint on their horses.  She painted them on her horse, and dressed the part herself.

It was fun to see these costumed riders riding across Cross Creek Cattle Company.  After the ride, the Posse held their officer election.  We awarded two costume prizes.  One for the best dressed horse and one for the best costume.  The Sheriff judged the contest and had a hard time making his decision.  We also ate dinner and visited with one another.  All in all, we hosted a fun evening for the Posse.

Since this year’s costume contest was such a hit, it will probably occur next year, too.  They will have all year to try to top this year’s costumes.  As evidenced by the costumes this year, the members of the Posse not only ride horses well, but they are very creative.  Below are the costume contest winners.

Dorothy (Samantha Roesler) and Toto. Best Costume 2011.

Timber Thomson and her very painted horse, Patsy. Best Decorated Horse 2011.

It has been a busy week here at Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We have had several customers come pick up their orders of grass fed beef.  It is always nice to visit face-to-face with people.  Many times we end up showing our first-time customers around the place before giving them their beef.  Almost always, especially for young girls, our horses draw attention away from the cows or anything else to see here.

Horses are beautiful creatures.  They move powerfully and gracefully.  Their size and weight far outmatch any rider, and yet they can be controlled with a tiny bit in their mouth and/or leg pressure.  Equine therapy has proven successful for people with injuries, disabilities, and even with the rehabilitation of prisoners.  There is something magical about the relationships between horse and rider.

Teamwork is one of the greatest lessons learned when working with or riding a horse.  You and the animal have to be in sync; together you move as one and work as one.  If you are not in sync with your partner, then it is obvious.  You fall off, your horse gets injured, etc.  We encourage our children to begin riding horses as soon as they can sit and obey our commands.  Learning about teamwork at a young age is important to us.  Children gain first-hand the knowledge that they are part of something bigger than themselves.  It takes the focus off of self, which is a key character trait missing in our society.

Just as important is taking care of the horse.  Feeding, watering, haying, grooming, mucking stalls, etc. are necessary elements of horsemanship.  Children learn responsibility as they care for the needs of another.  It is not all fun and games; some of the chores are downright humbling and nasty.  If you ask me, humble service is another great lesson learned from working with horses.

Cross Creek Cattle Company is a proud sponsor of the Grimes County Sheriff’s Jr. Deputy Mounted Posse.  Sheriff Don Sowell, Coordinator Sonya Floyd, and Drillmaster Lane DeHaven in addition to countless volunteers and parents work tirelessly as they encourage the youth of our county to promote horsemanship skills, leadership, and citizenship.  The youth gain even a deeper understanding of teamwork as they learn and perform routines on horseback.  Teamwork is no longer just between horse and rider, but extends to all the horses and riders on the team.  It is much more difficult to accomplish well.

The Posse is a fine organization, which welcomes any youth interested in joining.  We are always taking new members.  To kick off this new year, Cross Creek Cattle Company is happy to host the annual trail ride on our ranch.  It is a fun time of fellowship and food.  Of course, we have a trail ride.  This year Jake, Kyla, and Rheaghan, a fellow Posse member, charted the course of the trail.

Boy, are they adventurous! My husband had to make some easier/safer alterations to their proposed plan, but all-in-all it will be fun for the riders.  To make it interesting, we kept some logs laying in the path as obstacles for the horses.  We trimmed tree limbs so people’s hats won’t get knocked off.  The trail takes riders up and down creeks, which is always challenging for new riders and exhilarating for the experienced ones.  It will be a fun ride.

We are so blessed to get to live here on the ranch.  We get to enjoy daily what the ranch has to offer.  It is not always fun and games, but there are always life skills to be learned.  We are also happy to be able to host this event and allow others to see how much our ranch has to offer.

Cross Creek Cattle Company hosted the annual Grimes County Sheriff Jr. Deputy Mounted Posse Trail Ride last weekend.  The whole family pitched in to make the ranch look its best.  The grounds were mowed, limbs trimmed, pastures shredded, burn piles burned, etc.  We did as much as possible to beautify the ranch.

The whole family also worked hard to ensure that everyone present had a good time, too.  Safety was our first priority.  The trails were cleared well.  The cattle were moved to a far pasture because not all horses behave themselves around cows.  Running across open fields was not allowed.  At all times, riders must control his/her horse for everyone’s safety.

We insisted that people exercise their horses in an enclosed arena before embarking on our trail ride.  It was a fortunate decision because one horse crow-hopped and misbehaved.  Another woman was thrown from her horse, and her horse was difficult to catch.  If it had not been in an arena, there is no telling where the horse would have gone.  Almost all of our gates were open for the trail ride.

Once everyone was ready, the riders set out on a long ride.  Jake was the leader.  He knew the trails like the back of his hand.  He was very excited to have this responsibility.  For about one hour and forty minutes, members of the Posse, family, friends, and neighbors rode all over our ranch.

We all helped to prepare the food and drink.  Before everyone arrived, plenty of chairs, hay bales, and tables were set up.  We served brisket, sausage, baked beans, potato salad, and bread.  We had batches of brownies for dessert.  People were able to choose between tea, water, and a variety of soft drinks.

Ruthie’s BBQ in Navasota smoked the brisket and cooked the sausage as well as prepared the potato salad.  It was delicious!  We want to thank Charles Henley, the owner of Ruthie’s,  for giving the Posse a discount on the meal.  We really appreciate it.

The Grimes County Posse is a great organization.  The members are sworn in by the sheriff and represent the county throughout the year.  The Posse members are also ambassadors for the Go-Texan Committee.  They ride horses in parades, do a Pony Express ride in February, and ride in the grand entry of some rodeos.  They also post colors at Tea Party events in the county.

Cross Creek Cattle Company is a proud sponsor of the Grimes County Posse.  We are proud to host events like the annual trail ride.  If you are looking for a great horse-related organization for youth, check with your local sheriff.  There might be a posse in your own county.  My husband and I are proud to have our children involved with such a good organization.

On Saturday, October 11th, the Holliday family of Cross Creek Cattle Company hosted a trail ride for the Grimes County Jr. Deputy Sherriff Mounted Posse.  Mr. and Mrs. Holliday as well as Lane, Kyla, and Jake DeHaven worked very hard to blaze and clean up trails.  Lane had also tried to shred all the pastures.

The amount of rainfall we have received lately made it impossible to get all the shredding done.  Every time Lane tried to shred, the water would begin rising out of the soil under the weight of the tractor tires.  The last thing we want is for our pastures to be full of ruts.  Therefore not much shredding occurred.

At one point Lane pulled a log out of a pathway only to be instructed to put it back.  It turns out that my dad, Kenton Holliday, had spent a bit of time carefully trimming off any branches.  He intended the log to stay in order to make the trail more challenging and interesting for the riders.

The day before the trail ride and meeting the weather was nice.  It was sunny and cool.  We were hoping that the weather would hold and make a perfect day for horseback riding.  I made brownies and rice krispie treats for dessert. The Hollidays purchased drinks and provided cakes.  The day of the event we went over early to help set-up.

Later we arrived at the barn to saddle up and ride the horses through the creeks to the cabin.  Our plan was to wait there for the trail ride to begin.  Just as the last saddle was being tightened up on the fourth horse, it started to rain.  Soon after, our phone rang and the trail ride had been canceled.  However, we were still having a meeting of the Posse at the cabin.

I promise you that nobody was more disappointed than the Hollidays and the DeHavens.  We had worked so hard and were really looking forward to people enjoying our ranch.  We have creeks, trails, pastures, woods, logs in the paths, and more.  It really is the perfect place to ride your horse.

About 30 people showed up for the meeting.  I felt this was a pretty good turn-out especially considering there was rain and no ride.  The Imhoff ranch donated food, which we enjoyed after the meeting.  Despite the weather, the Posse had a good get-together.  Now we are trying to find a date to re-schedule the trail ride.

Our family of riders

Jake turned eight last Friday.  He had many options for his big day.  His baseball team was being awarded their championship medal at a banquet that evening.  He could have invited some friends to spend the night.  We could have gone camping on the ranch wherever he chose.  He had some great options, but he had to choose one.  Having read his articles on this blog, I am sure that you are not surprised when he decided to host a trail ride on the ranch in honor of his birthday.

We invited our neighbors who are big horsemen.  They ride in trail rides throughout the year, including the big one to Houston for the Livestock Show and Rodeo.  They arrived riding a mule and three other horses.  A friend of their oldest boy, who lives further down the road, showed up as they were heading to our house on horseback.  So he joined us, too.   All in all we had eleven horses and riders participate in the trail ride.

Jake had a blast!  They crossed creeks, rode through brush, went across the dam by the lake, and rode all over the ranch.  They did not miss a single pasture.  About two hours later, everyone dismounted and rested.  We served dinner to everyone.  We grilled hot dogs and homemade sausage.  I made potato salad and heated up some ranch-style beans.  Jake wanted a chocolate chip cookie cake.  We served it with homemade goat ice cream.

They are going to meet up with our guests.

Then Jake opened his gifts.  He got a brand new pair of cowboy boots and some bumper spurs like the ones he saw at the Clinton Anderson workshop.  He also got some jeans and western-style shirts.  Jake received a lasso from a fellow cowboy whom Jake really admires.  Daily, he practices roping anything and everything he can.

Jake is an amazing boy.  He has always wanted to be a cowboy.  He doesn’t just look the part or act the part.  He is a cowboy.  For him or anyone else in my family, there is no better place to live than out here in the country on Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We enjoy so many aspects of life that are lost to children growing up in urban areas.  If we had to live in the city, then I am confident that we would manage.  Jake would probably own a huge dog and try to ride him down the sidewalks.   Until then, we will live each day thankful for being a part of this ranch.