Mr. R. F. Burgess had a dream of owning a ranch in the west, after years of trips out from Ontario he and his family discovered the beauty of Big Muddy Valley of South Central Sask, in 1937, on a ranch once operated by Mr. R.A. Wright. He fell in love with the area and arranged to purchase the Wright ranch and acquire the crown lease that made up the majority of the ranch. He also arranged to buy several other ranches in the same area. The ranches were stocked with horses and grass cattle purchased in auction markets in Sask. and as far away as Edmonton, Alberta. The cattle were shipped by train to the Big Beaver and trailed out to the ranch. The family never moved out West to the ranch but did visit it as often as possible.

In 1947, Mr. Burgess’s second son Edward was married in Ontario to M. Ferne Alton, the couple left Ontario headed to the West coast on their Honeymoon. When they arrived at the ranch it was decided that they would not return to Ontario but would stay on the ranch and become the ranch managers for the Ontario based family. In 1960, Mr. R.F. Burgess passed away leaving the ranch to Edward and his family. Edward carried on in his fathers management ways by stocking the ranch with grass cattle bought through local auction markets and from local ranchers. The Burgess family were some of the last to ship grass fed cattle to Ontario by train in the 1980’s. Although Edward and Ferne still live on the family ranch they have retired and have turned over the ranch responsibilities to their son Michael, the third generation of Burgess’s to run the ranch.

When Michael and his wife Tamela took over operation of the ranch, they decided to take the ranch in a different direction, by turning it into a Cow Calf operation. They raise Black Angus cattle and are still raising the good Registered Quarter horses, that Edward built a reputation on. They are looking forward to operating the ranch for a few more years and then turning it over the fourth generation of Burgess’s.