Arizona in the Saddle | Page 50

History of Our Ranch! Honest work, honest price. COMPLETE AUTO AND TRUCK REPAIR Computer and Diagnostic • Emissions • Bumper to Bumper Service • All Makes and Models To Keep Pace and Stay in the Race, See Ace F rom the beginning MacDonald’s Ranch was a horse and cattle ranch in the late 1950’s. The Richardson Family is still working that land to this day. Initially the spread consisted of 36,000 acres in the desert that is now North Scottsdale. In the spring of 1970, on Easter Sunday, Old MacDonald’s Farm opened to the public. The Richardson Family realized a dream of an operation that allows the public the hands on approach to the ranch experience. A place where kids from the city could watch a cow being milked, see live ranch animals and be in a natural surrounding as you ride in the Sonoran Desert. This became Old MacDonald’s Farm and is in operation today. We support the community! 602-268-0454 5010 S. Central Above: Robby and Silvia, owners of MacDonald’s Ranch. Years passed, the Valley grew and with the exception of Old MacDonald’s Farms’ 1300 acres, the land surrounding became a few shopping centers and housing developments. In 1994 Old MacDonald’s Farm was updated to MacDonald’s Ranch and our services changed to offer an atmosphere where you can relax and take a step back in time to an overview in ranch life. In our fourth decade of operation MacDonald’s Ranch is one of Scottsdale’s oldest and most experienced horseback riding stables making it the premier Western Adventure in the Valley of the Sun. Right: Bob Richardson, Robby’s father and founder of the Farm. Below: Leola Richardson, Robby’s mother, walking the property with some of her children on Easter Sunday, the day the Farm opened, in 1970. Oct 10 - Nov 2 Open Wed-Sun azstatefair.com 50 October 2014 AZintheSaddle.com