Raats Family Ranch

01/22/2025

Fabulous Ole Day Ranch Hand https://www.facebook.com/share/r/162qxwfhQp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

01/17/2025

THE FIRES DEALT A GRIM BLOW—OUR CHERISHED HERITAGE HAS BECOME A MEMORY AS LANDMARKS LAY IN ASHES.

The Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire, and a series of other fires that blackened the beginning of 2025 took much more than thousands of buildings and acres—the fires scorched our trust, our recent history, and the core heart of our togetherness.

Yes, the Horses Are Safe

The horses may have made it to safer surroundings as Cha Cha Jago prioritized their safety—just like Will Rogers would have ordered—but the Will Rogers Ranch and the Will Rogers State Park will never return to the way we all have known this iconic place.

Will Rogers’s legacy reflects so much of what California Western Heritage is all about: deep-rooted cattle ranching, profound equestrian culture, entertainment, and media. And it feels like all those fields have been lit and charred—or somewhat singed in the best possible case.

Boulevard of Stoken Dreams—once fueled by ambition and hope, now left smoldering in the wake of the flames.

The grandeur, the smile, and the elegant sunny contours of Miss Santa Monica near the ocean have been suffering even before the fire hit the ‘San’ of this Golden State coastal city. The once-prestigious Will Rogers Post Office on Wilshire had become a vague shadow of its past. As not a single counter pen is still working, the clerk tells me they can’t find staff to serve the long lines of people who often have to ‘excuse me’ themselves to get past the homeless on the street in front of the entrance.

Friends in TV & film production have a hard time getting back on track as Hollywood seems to reshape with smaller squads and platoons on the job and lots of remote postproduction mercenaries. LA Times recently ran a poignant story on this. And music production has entered an avenue that didn’t look better with budget cuts announced by major labels.

When we got alerted by the news that Rich Mouser’s studio was erased from the face of the earth in Altadena, this wasn't the only musical disaster: a lot of producers lost literally everything—their homes, their studios, their instruments, their memorabilia, and their livelihood. Hollywood Hills on fire, and Sunset reshaped into an apocalyptic raging condition. The peace disappeared in Laurel Canyon, the sacred area and modern-day resort of pilgrimage for the musical magic of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and many other milestones of the golden age of modern-day music.

Horses, Martins, and Telecasters

The horses are safe, but where shall we see them return on this coastal soil with the peace of mind of a paid-off old ranch, hanging out with friends making music, daydreaming about tomorrow? Maybe, when the old bunch will be invited by the new crypto-success folk in spaceship cars. The fear that a friend’s lighter will spark the next hellfire will persistently be part of tomorrow.

We Lost Our Schools, Our Church—Our Big Manitou

It felt like the savior left the door when the fires came in, and the future shows little hope. Wealthy wallets that lost their homes are jacking up the prices of an already overpriced rental market. Although rent control may hit the brakes on dollar-driven intentions, the new rat race has started. Not the most nutritious inviting landscape for young talent.

Stop Complaining—We’re Still Alive? Are We All?

Indeed alive, but in a different world where the houses will never be built the same way, and where our memories continue in our minds as we can no longer touch them.

Will Mr. Rogers ever return with his entrepreneurial, entertaining fashion—one of the fathers of the modern-day roots of the Hollywood that we knew? We hope for the best, but resin prepared for the…

https://www.parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/1346

08/16/2024

On a Crisp Skyline Morning

It was in a blink of an eye at shutter speed early in the day, early in the season, and the impression lasts forever—as fresh as the morning air.

07/17/2024

https://ranchingheritage.org/spanish-ranch-building-on-tradition/

The big round willow corral is surrounded by old stone buildings, new metal barns, acres of native hay meadows, and miles of sagebrush. The horizontal sticks that c***k it together between the stout posts are gray and dead, but a few saplings have taken root, showing new green life. This corral has....

05/30/2023

Every Saddle Tells a Story

The cowboy’s saddle—it’s what is between the man and his partner, his mount. It’s much more than a piece of equipment. It’s a book that reveals the complete story.

The saddle can tell you quite a bit about the cowboy. It reflects his work ethic, his pride, his traditions, what area he is from, and what kind of horses he works. A saddle that is used to break colts is like an adventure novel. Every wreck has left an indelible signature somewhere on the saddle.

The saddle will tell you how the man dallies—how he ropes. The weight of his hand and the level of his skill. In one blink of an eye, some cow bosses can tell how long the hand has been in the saddle, and how seasoned he is. And when a tenderfoot is showing up with a saddle decorated with the wear and tear of a beautiful career, all other hands can tell it’s a gift from his father or his uncle. A saddle of his grandfather may harvest the deepest respect for the family.

And how about a new saddle? It’s nothing until you rode some first great episodes in it.

Indeed, a cowboy’s life is full of stories, and his saddle is like an open library.

RR

05/29/2023

Beautiful Traditions

This captivating scene played out on a beautiful branding day in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada—Yokohl Valley, CA.

Families and friends gathered together for the annual branding event, immersing themselves in cherished ranch traditions. As the day began, this spirited group set off on horseback to round up the herds on the other side of the hills. Positioned on the left side of this picturesque landscape, a young boy confidently guided his horse, closely following his father who skillfully led the way. Together, they ensured a smooth path, alert for any unexpected obstacles or potential distractions that might unsettle the fresh horses.

These extraordinary experiences create lasting memories. Against the backdrop of the rolling hills, bathed in the soft morning sunlight, the boy's pony gleamed with an ethereal white glow, enhancing the breathtaking vista.

03/06/2023

The Pitchfork Ranch Horse Sale

The legendary Pitchfork Ranch will hold its horse sale on June 2-4, 2023, Pitchfork Ranch - Meeteetse, Wyoming
For all information https://www.pitchforkranch.com/

03/05/2023

Charles Holbrook—Remembered in Europe as the Man Who Discovered and Mentored Europe's Cowboy-Entrepreneur William Dougan

In January, Sir William Dougan and his spouse, Mrs. Caroline Dougan, traveled to Seminole, Oklahoma, to pay their respects and bid farewell to Charles Holbrook, Sir William's early-day mentor. Charles Holbrook passed away last year. Recently, a tribute news story was published in honor of Charles Holbrook. Please click the following link to read the article. https://thewesternhorse.com/news-stories-%26-articles/f/tribute-to-sir-william-dougans-early-day-mentor%E2%80%94charles-holbrook

02/28/2023

Some Day — Margo Raats & Rik Raats

Quite spontaneously, on a summer night, this piece of marvel was shared with the frogs near the creek.

02/28/2023

The American Cowboy — the World's First Brand Ambassador

Branding season is taking off. We all embrace the tradition and make it a yearly high for the whole family, the neighboring ranches, and friends near and far. But it's actually much more than an iconical part of ranch tradition; it has left a crucial mark and impact on the world as we know it. —The tradition of cattle branding laid the very basis of today's branded economy. It's the early father of the world of brands on our planet. Indeed, the landscape of brands that's ubiquitously part of our daily modern-day life traces back to its birth in the earliest cowboy days. It lead to the 20th-century American brand marketing model which got exposed to the world after World War Two and evolved into the global brand marketing of today and tomorrow.

Here's the story in a nutshell. And—there's no better moment to reflect on this than now at the start of branding season. Because in the earliest days of this tradition on the American continent, just like today, branding was taken care of during the roundup of roaming cattle. An activity called the 'rodear' — indeed, where rodeo is derived from.

Read this article https://thewesternhorse.com/news-%26-topics/f/the-american-cowboy-%E2%80%94-the-worlds-first-brand-ambassador