10/19/2026
VanDerRanch began with a simple question: “Business Name?”
I was sitting at my kitchen table one morning after breakfast, completing registration paperwork for our first crop of Jockey Club and ApHCc foals, when those two words gave me pause.
Until then, my business had carried only my own name.
I had been working in the horse industry since I was thirteen, following opportunities across Canada wherever hard work and a willingness to learn could take me. From English stables to racetracks and lay-up barns, c**t starting to ranch, feedlot and day work, I built my experience while completing my college and university degrees.
That morning, I was putting a name to years of work—and to the future we hoped to build.
My fiancé (at the time) and I both came from Dutch families with almost identical surnames. Combining those roots felt natural. “Van der,” meaning “from the” or “of the,” became the foundation. With “Ranch” completing the name, it held a meaning that felt entirely our own:
The family from the ranch.
VanDerRanch.
Since then, we have purchased our homestead, spent over a decade building a business from the ground up, and navigated seasons of expansion, adjustment and rebuilding. Along the way, we have proudly supported teams, individuals and equine events through season sponsorships, buckles and prizes.
And we’ve had many a year, month and day of hardships and challenges along the way.
But, in truth the most meaningful part has been the people. Clients have become friends, introductions have grown into lasting relationships, and so many of you have trusted us with your horses time and again. That trust is something I will never take lightly.
There have been achievements I am deeply proud of, and setbacks that have asked more of me than I expected. Business ownership has taught me to make difficult decisions, accept that I cannot meet every expectation, and keep learning through both success and disappointment.
But …
Each winter brings an honest question: Will we reopen fully to the public in the New Year, or through private bookings only?
For the 2027 season, that decision is still taking shape, with much of our spring client schedule already spoken for.
As we approach November and our winter 2026 closure approaches, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported this little business of ours year after year. Every booking, referral, recommendation and word of encouragement has helped build something that began at a kitchen table.
This year brought growth, new opportunities and lessons I will carry forward. Two new locations, and two new areas of stress and uncertainty I don’t think I fully anticipated. But, It also reminded me how much I value time with our own horses, and how much time I’ve lost with them. Horses whose goals have often waited while I focused on the horses entrusted to my care from the public.
I am grateful for the quieter months ahead to give them my time, continue their development, and return next season ready to share what we have accomplished together. And take a deep look at our business as a whole for its future.
• We are accepting a limited number of winter boarding, training, consignment and sales bookings.
• Availability will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, by appointment and confirmed bookings only.
• We will be scaling down to half of our normal booking capacity for the winter months as always.
Thank you for being part of our story, for trusting our work, and for helping this ranch become what it is today.
