Bluerock Ranch

Last Thursday, our friend Brooke managed to pull together an amazing last-minute photoshoot for Western Hive. We filled the truck with clothes, perfume and anything else we thought we might need, then headed toward Bluerock Ranch.

And when I say we headed up to the ranch, I mean up.

The Road to Bluerock

We were in a rush getting there, but I still couldn’t get over the beautiful views surrounding us. The sharp, rolling hills reminded me of the Carbondale area near Pincher Creek, where I spent so much time camping, fishing and sledding growing up.

The pastures and crops were beginning to turn, and you could already see that summer was sadly coming to an end. I could only imagine how beautiful the hills would be once the leaves changed for the season.

Once we left the pavement, we started to climb. And did we ever climb.

The driveway followed a narrow road through the trees. I wanted to stop and take pictures, but Brooke quickly reassured me that this was nothing compared to what we would see at the top. She also informed me that we needed the momentum to make it up the hill, so stopping wasn’t really an option anyway.

We knew we had arrived when the colts met us at the front gate. Brooke was already pointing them out and rattling off the names of all her favourites before we had even parked.

A Ranch on Top of the World

When we parked beside the house, I realized just how special this place was. The house seemed to straddle the very top of the peak, with incredible views stretching out on either side. The greenhouse and garden beds were full of fresh green plants, and the entire property felt peaceful, beautiful and well loved.

As soon as we jumped out of the truck, we ran into a few of the ranch interns. To my surprise, I already knew them. They had stopped by our booth at the Calgary Stampede a few months earlier.

Like usual, we stood around and bullshitted for ages. What a small world.

Eventually, we decided we should probably head inside and round up the troops, also known as our models.

Sophie and Pete welcomed us into their home with open arms. Their house began as a cabin and had been added onto by the different ranchers who lived there over the years. The main wall in the living room was still the exterior wall of the original cabin. Just like the ranch outside, the house felt warm, cozy and full of history.

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Talking Business With a Cowboy

While everyone got ready, Pete started asking me questions about Western Hive. It was exciting to talk with another business-minded cowboy because he instantly understood how much work had gone into creating the products sitting in the box in front of me.

We talked about business, building something of your own and everything that comes with it. Pete asked me what one piece of advice I would give another business owner.

Put on the spot, I said, “It’s bloody hard, and you have to get back up when it kicks the shit out of you.”

We laughed because it’s true.

I probably should have added that you need to work harder than you ever have before and refuse to take no for an answer. But in the moment, that was all I could think of.

Pete told me about growing his business and eventually purchasing Bluerock Ranch. Seeing what he and his wife, Emma, had built motivated the hell out of me. My dream is similar. One day, I would love to build something like this around my family’s ranch down south.

The Horses of Bluerock Ranch

Horses are at the heart of Bluerock Ranch, especially their BluerockDX Draft Cross program.

The ranch calls them “Super Learners” because they are smart, willing horses being raised to experience all kinds of ranch life. We got to see those personalities for ourselves during the shoot.

We headed into a pasture overlooking the Rocky Mountains, laid out a blanket and started arranging the perfume bottles. The colts roam that pasture, so we waited to see if they might come over.

Sure enough, like curious cats, they eventually emerged from the trees and joined the fun. They inspected the blankets, checked out the perfume bottles and wandered into our photos like they had been invited.

Later, we saddled up the horses and captured some action shots and videos. There is something special about shooting with horses. You can plan the idea, the outfit and the photo, but the horse will always add something of its own.

These horses were incredibly kind and smart, but each one still had its own little personality. We laughed through most of the shoot because they weren’t simply standing in the background. They became part of the entire story.

What I Took Home

When we returned to the house, I finally got to meet Emma. And shocker, she was just as lovely as everyone else.

She wanted to smell all the perfumes and was genuinely giddy as she went through them. She asked about my story, listened to how Western Hive began and then shared some of her own wisdom with me.

It was special to see how much building a community meant to their family because it means so much to me, too.

We came to Bluerock Ranch to take pictures, but I left inspired by so much more. I saw a family that had worked incredibly hard to create a life around the things they love. I saw smart, kind horses being raised with patience. Most of all, I saw a ranch built around hospitality, community and sharing the western way of life with other people.

Western Hive and Bluerock Ranch may create very different things, but the heart behind them felt familiar. We both believe in building something real, bringing good people together and continuing to get back up when the work kicks the shit out of us.

That is what made the day so special. We didn’t just find an incredible place to shoot Western Hive. We found people who understood what we are trying to build.

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