Home on the Range: From Chasing Subways to Chasing Cattle – By Brita Horn

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With the popularity of the hit television show, Yellowstone, people are curious about ranching in the Rocky Mountains.  Well, I can assure you that, unlike Beth, I don’t go to work in full makeup wearing a pencil skirt and high heels.

City girl to ranch owner… has been the most challenging and happiest time of my life. 

Growing up near Chicago, then Upstate New York, and Washington DC, and ending up in the sleepy little community of McCoy, CO has been quite the experience.

I was working as a Cost Controller for an international hotel company.  While a career in the financial division of the hospitality industry was certainly interesting, it was a position that came almost accidentally, as I landed in DC to pursue a career in politics and government, eager to run campaigns.  However, during that pursuit, I still needed an income and was drawn to the flexibility of the hospitality industry… controller by day and bartender for political events, by night.  Controller won out and climbing the corporate ladder involved moving out west. 

My assignment was to be, the lead cost controller, at a new hotel being built in the elegant Rancho Mirage.  It was a different path than I had planned, but what an incredible setting and opportunity!  While awaiting the completion of the hotel, I was sent on an assignment to audit a property in Vail.  Little did I know that I would make Colorado my permanent home.

Typical of those arriving in Vail, the cost of living was much higher than other places, and usually, people teamed up in shared housing to make ends meet.  Of course, my “team” was here to party, focused on skiing and drinking, which was not conducive to those who must hold down a corporate job.  On weekends, I would escape on long drives to the beautiful mountain countryside.  It was my nirvana.

I soon discovered this quaint little town on the edge of Eagle County, called McCoy.  I loved it!  It was unlike anywhere I had ever lived.  A step back in time, with a wonderfully small and welcoming community.  People were so friendly, and it had a down-to-earth comforting feel to it.  It was exactly what I needed! 

With a limited budget, I discovered this small old railroad house to rent.  I couldn’t be more excited.  Of course, it would need some work, including returning the bathtub to the bathroom.  It was being used as a watering hole by “Milton Berle”, a Burro. 

I felt like I had stepped into a lovely storybook.  The McCoy School taught up to fourth grade; the church was thriving; and just like an old TV show, it was a place where everyone knew your name.  I was in awe of the simplicity of life here.  While the community was reminiscent of times past, little did I know that it held my future. 

During the holidays, I was invited to a New Year’s Eve gathering.  It was on the Conger Mesa.  There I met the Horn family’s four brothers.  It was quite a night, as we enjoyed board games in the kitchen, filled with good food and laughter, waiting for midnight to arrive.  That’s where I became friends with Gary Horn.  A single rancher with a tanned face, hardworking rough hands, and an adorable smile that would melt my heart.  He loved what he called, my big city style, and I loved everything about him.  After 3-months of getting to know one another, we realized that this was meant to be, and decided to marry.  I traded in a corporate career for life on a ranch, and ranching is very different, from urban life or ski resort towns. 

This city girl went from expecting my meat from a grocery store to raising cattle.  We also raised two daughters.  Thirty years later, I couldn’t be happier.  Yet, the transition from city life to rancher’s wife was not an easy one.  Rural life, ranch ownership, motherhood, and community leadership were all-encompassing. 

There was so much to learn about local history, family customs, and the community.  It seemed endless and I felt like I needed a (cow) herd book to keep all the relationships straight!  And there was definitely hands-on training for all the daily ranch tasks, but I was up for it.  

City Girl to Rancher

The “gatekeeper” job is to keep certain cows in or out and was considered, the most difficult.  Ranchers yelling above the noise of the cattle, kids sitting on the fence pointing, and my very supportive mother-in-law, keeping track of the cow numbers because we had to count them as they quickly ran by.  With a gate on its last legs, needing to have been replaced years ago, a few of the cows would quickly run through, and my job included, pushing them back.  Sounds like no big deal, until you attempt to push a 1000-pound animal in the opposite direction it intended to go! 

Daily jobs on the ranch vary by season.  Fall and winter are for feeding cows and calving.  Severe weather is a constant… great for skiing, not so much for raising cows.  We must break through snow and ice, to get to the feed ground, so that the livestock can eat.  It takes an ax to break the ice in the water troughs so that the cows can access their water. 

Spring and Summer jobs consist of rock picking in the fields, planting alfalfa, irrigating the hay ground, moving cows, calves, and bulls, up to the high country.  We must also check on the ditch and headgate to make sure water from the Rock Creek is traveling down the 40-inch pipe to the fields below. 

Work and chores on a ranch are physically demanding and endless.  If a tractor breaks down, often in the middle of use, the wife must quickly run to town and pick up needed parts because days of warm weather are limited, and a tractor cannot be out of service for very long or we risk losing key milestones that must be reached, in preparation of the cattle’s return. 

You can imagine the manpower that it takes to run an entire ranch.  When not working outdoors, we cook for large crowds, sometimes at a moment’s notice.  It is quickly discovered that grilling and baking are necessary skills for keeping the troops happy. 

In small towns, we all pitch in for potluck events like Father’s Day Picnics, Halloween Festivals, Chili Cook-offs, as well as things like weddings, or even funerals.  The gatherings often take place at the former school, now the McCoy Community Center.  With everyone so busy on their ranches, we savor these community gatherings. 

Yet, with all of the remote sense of security, we realize that unexpected events happen.  On September 11, 2001, we all experienced a sense of vulnerability.  In McCoy, we became much more aware of our inability to respond to emergencies.  What would happen if…? 

We were so far from critical services… at least a half-hour away, and that’s with good weather and no unanticipated delays.  When seconds count, 30-minutes can mean the difference between life and death. 

Road to Fire Chief

We decided that establishing a volunteer fire department was essential for the safety of our community.  With the generous help of emergency service organizations in Eagle County, we had a team of neighbors willing to put down their work and help someone in need.  We set up a radio alert system.  Those tones, signal that someone is in danger.  We provide both fire and medical assistance. 

When not responding to an emergency, the fire department offers the community non-critical services.  We are able to check on our elderly neighbors, providing blood pressure monitoring and reviewing their vitals.  It enables us to detect issues even before they may feel any symptoms.  If anything is irregular, results can be called into their doctor for further instruction.  In areas with no cell service, we are able to connect via telemedicine, so a face-to-face with their doctor is possible, without a long drive to town.

Having a local fire department gave people the perfect opportunity to help their fellow neighbors.  As someone with a passion for seeking new adventures, and especially ones that can truly make a difference to others, volunteering for the fire department was right up my alley.

I began as a medical first responder and started training as a Firefighter, then Engineer, earning my way up to Officer.  I’ve worked for the past 12-years for the Eagle County Paramedic Services, and 14-years with the Greater Eagle and Gypsum Fire Services. 

Battling fires is enormously gratifying.  Responding to a person’s worst day and making it better with years of training, kindness, and actual solutions, gives one’s life a sense of purpose, unmatched by nearly anything else.  The compassion in my heart to serve others, with the motivation and courage to do so, is more gratifying than I could ever imagine. 

My adventure began thirty years ago, and I am grateful every single day, that I found this wonderful place called McCoy, Colorado, and have been blessed with an incredible family to share it with. 

Welcome to the Rocky Mountains, where adventure is packaged as just another day of the week.

Brita Horn lives in McCoy with her husband Gary and is a bestselling author of Drinking from a Fire Hose 5 Essential Tools to Not Get Soaked.  To contact her or order her book, please visit her website:  http://www.BritaHorn.com