The Rural Voice, 1993-08, Page 26Living a dream
The Cahill family not only lives a
dream of ranch life, but shares it
with oungsters at camp
Sto ; ,: + otos by Alice Gibb
Fred and Gail Cahill have built
their lives around the three
"Rs" — ridin', ropin' and
ranching. The Cahills own the
220 -acre Texas Longhorn Ranch,
located on the banks of the winding
Sydenham River, south of the
Middlesex County farming
community of Kerwood.
The Cahills, a warm, friendly
couple in denims and cowboy boots,
really do offer some good old-
fashioned Western hospitality while
living out a dream.
That dream is best summed up by
lean and rugged -looking Fred Cahill,
who seems to have a way with both
horses and kids.
"Ever since 1 was a kid, all I
wanted to do was ride horses and
work cattle. 1 had a dream of
working on a real cattle ranch —
branding, roping, punching cows,
putting up feed and hay for the winter
and fixin' fences."
That ambition is understandable
for a kid in the Alberta foothills, but
has proved a little more challenging
on the flatlands of southwestern
Ontario. Today, however, Fred, 35,
his wife Gail and their three boys ride
herd on their purebred Texas
longhorns, while running a Western -
22 THE RURAL VOICE
style kids camp so that other
youngsters can experience the
cowboy lifestyle. They also oversee
a 56 -site campground for adults,
complete with swimming pool and
mini -golf course. In the off-season,
they offer conducted trail rides,
followed by longhorn beef dinners.
The Cahills' days are long, and
holidays are few and far
between, but so are their
complaints. The Cahills
are relying on traditions
from the Old West to keep
their family farming
operation continuing into
the future.
Although running the
kids camp has meant that
the cattle do not get as
much of the Cahills'
attention in the summer
months, "the longhorns
are the basis of everything
we do here," says Gail.
In 1978, when Fred's
parents, already dedicated
horse people, decided to
buy cattle, their sons
persuaded them to import
Texas longhorn cows.
The Cahills are now
among only four purebred
longhorn breeders in Ontario.
Despite their name, Texas
longhorns, with their trademark
curved horns, actually originated in
Gail Cahill (below on the steps of a
covered wagon where campers
sleep), met Fred (above) and fell in
love with both him and his ranch.