American Express and Hideaway Report
have called Gene Kilgore the world’s leading
Cowboy Up
for Ranch Country
Adventures with
Gene Kilgore
HERS: What was your first paying job?
HIS: A paper route. I was 10 years old.
HERS: What’s one difficult problem that you faced and
solved?
HIS: I took an incredible course with one of the founders of
natural horsemanship, Ray Hunt, who is an inspiration on
goodness and courage, and thoughtful interaction with a
horse. I was riding a green horse that was a little scary, and
he encouraged me to stay the course and connect with it.
Two sayings I took away from Ray are, “Love and warmth,
vs. force and fury,” and “Make the wrong thing difficult,
and make the right thing easy.”
HERS: What’s your superpower or spirit animal?
HIS: The eagle. I like Steve Miller’s song, Fly Like an Eagle,
and I like to step back and take a long view on things. I
think the eagle represents the heights that we can go if we
allow ourselves to soar.
HERS: What is your favorite quote?
HIS: Either one of Ray’s.
HERS: What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?
HIS: My wife Regina pushes me out! We’ve been married
30 years. But honestly, what motivates me is passion for
connecting people with nature and ranch country.
HERS: What would the closest person in your life say if I
asked, what’s the characteristic they totally dig about you
and which one drives them insane?
HIS: My dedication. That I’m always thinking about ranch
country. Even my wife asks, can’t I think about anything
else? EE
EQUINE Lifestyle
30 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
authority on guest ranches and they’re
probably right.Gene has travelled thousands
of miles exploring the top luxury and
working ranches, estancias, and fazendas
in North and South America, bringing the
romance of ranch country to millions of
people worldwide. As a best selling author,
he’s appeared on radio programs and
TV networks including CNN, and inside the
pages of the New York Times, People Magazine,
National Geographic Traveler, and
Sunset Magazine. He is one of the first lifetime
members of the Dude Ranchers’ Association,
and his love for ranch country runs
deep.So when we got a chance to cowboy
up with this man on the go, we seized it.
HIS & HERS
with L.A. Sokolowski, equinista
HERS: If you worked outside the horse world what would
you be doing?
HIS: I don’t see myself as working in the horse world. I’m in
the people world of the ranch/hotel business. I imagine I’d
be running a Four Seasons Hotel or have become an orthopedic
surgeon. I like helping people feel better.
HERS: If I were to ask your friends to give me three adjectives
that best describe you, what would I hear?
HIS: I’d hope that you’d hear kindness, passion and dedication.
HERS: It’s a year from now and we’re celebrating what a
great 12 months it’s been, so what do you hope you’ve
achieved?
HIS: We’ve launched a new website, ranchvacations.
com. We’ve heightened awareness about ranch country
in Europe and throughout travel agent/advisory networks.
Numbers run the world, but people make it, so I’ll hope I
brought a human touch to a digital world, and that I’ve
been a good husband, father and friend, and ambassador
for ranch country.
/www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com