Down Home Ranch

            I want to introduce you to Dr. Jerry Horton and his wife Judy.  These are two people that Gayle and I are proud to know and even more proud to call our good friends.  When we look at what Jerry and Judy have accomplished, Gayle and I are both genuinely humbled.

            Jerry and I were friends in college at San Jose State University.  We shared many experiences together, including a potentially dangerous adventure in Tijuana.  But the times I remember most with Jerry were the discussions we had regarding philosophy, religion, and theoretical concepts that may have been more of an exercise in mental gymnastics than providing a practical solution to the world’s problems.  But that’s what college students do.

            Jerry was always considered by the rest of us to be an authentic intellectual.  Unfortunately, during those heady days of undergraduate studies, Jerry moved from his Christian perspective to become a self-described atheist.  He was also way off in left field politically.  That’s common for students of philosophy or psychology. But wisdom comes with age and experience and Jerry eventually made the transition back to his starting point as a Christian.  And politically he made a big jump … to the right.  Imagine that!

            As an example, Jerry, Judy, Gayle and I went on a cruise with the staff of the National Review, including William F. Buckley, Judge Ken Starr, Judge Robert Bork, Senator Pat Toomey, and about twenty other internationally known folks.  It was an unbelievable experience to meet all of these people and smoke cigars with Bill Buckley.  To join Jerry on the starboard side of the ship was certainly different from our college days, when he was walking the plank on the port side.

            Due to his intellect, it’s no surprise that Jerry earned a Doctorate and became a college professor.  This image was consistent with our conception of Jerry Horton.  It was a surprise when Gayle and I visited Jerry at the site of Down Home Ranch in Texas early in its development. We pulled into the ranch to see Jerry in Levis and a cowboy hat with tools hanging from his belt as he worked on a fence.  It sure wasn’t the image of him as a college professor. Quite a change.

            Jerry’s wife Judy is also an example of someone with a large intellect that matches the size of her dreams and provides the tools to realize those dreams.  When you pair up Jerry and Judy, you have an unstoppable team.  Those aren’t empty words.

            They turned a large and bare piece of Texas land into a working ranch for adult “ranch hands” with Down syndrome.  When their daughter Kelly was born with this condition, they had many decisions to make.  When they finally chose a plan, it wasn’t only for the benefit of Kelly.  They thought about others like their daughter and began work on a ranch for other people with Down syndrome, appropriately called, “Down Home Ranch.” 

Down Home Ranch is a working ranch.  They provide jobs on the ranch, so the ranch hands actually earn money from their labor through the ranch production. There are activities, educational and practical learning experiences, chores, living quarters for the ranch hands and an experienced staff. It’s truly an unbelievable operation.  And it started with two parents wanting the best for their daughter and others like her who needed a healthy and happy living environment.

            Rather than explain this fantastic program, I want to ask all my readers to look at www.downhomeranch.orgor go to Down Home Ranch, Elgin, Texas. Let Jerry and Judy explain the ranch operation in their own words.  It’s very interesting and really worth the time. Please go to the Down Home Ranch website.

If you have an interest in joining the effort, you can add your name to the long list of folks who support the operation financially.  It’s a wonderful non-profit charity.  Please check it out. I guarantee that you won’t regret it.

            Again…www.downhomeranch.org or just type in Down Home Ranch, Elgin, Texas.