Discovery of the week
Hopper Ranch
The Heart of Aubrey, TX.
Aubrey is known as the Horse Capital of Texas, if not across the state, then certainly by the people that call this town home. Even now, a simple drive down highway 377 fills the eyes with horses across many pastures. Many of these facilities have built Aubrey into the community it is today and Hopper Ranch is no exception. The ranch is a family business, run by Courtney Hopper along with her mother, Merry. Established in 1999, the Hoppers have been pillars of the Aubrey community for over two decades.
The property’s history is fascinating. Before it was Hopper Ranch, the land was home to a miniature pony facility. Before that, it was a Girl Scout campground and a moonshine ranch during the prohibition area. Today, Hopper Ranch is a premiere lesson and boarding facility that offers twelve horses the opportunity to live a life of luxury on the gorgeous 50 acre stretch with lush greenery alongside the property’s seven other horses. Between five trainers, they hold over two hundred lessons a week, working on western riding fundamentals and specializing in barrel racing, which is Courtney’s discipline and the reason Hopper Ranch exists.
Courtney’s passion for horses started when she was young. At twelve years old, she knew she wanted to barrel race. The sport demands precision and speed from both horse and rider and needing somewhere to practice, the Hoppers moved from Prosper and purchased what is now Hopper Ranch. For fifteen years, it was the home of barrel racing tournaments, open to the public and would garner the attention of over a hundred riders each week!
As Courtney moved away from competition, Hopper Ranch evolved. Aside from lessons and boarding, the country oasis also offers birthday parties, pony painting, trail rides, and summer camps. The ranch hosts one of the most popular summer camps in the area for a short time- two camps, each a week long, the last week of May and the first week of June. It’s so popular, when sign ups are announced, they fill up in about fifteen minutes! Only the first 100 kids get in. It’s not just a “horse camp”, as Courtney says. They offer a variety of activities for kids ages 5 to 12, including a zipline and hosting a number of exotic animals for the kids to meet.
There’s no better way to enjoy the great outdoors than on horseback, and Hopper Ranch is happy to provide that opportunity. Take a relaxing trail ride and find peace under the property’s great trees or connect with a horse with one on one lessons. Once the crew is confident with your riding, you could even take a Sonic Sunrise Ride and venture down highway 377 to Sonic for breakfast on the back of a horse.
During the holidays, you can come and party with the ponies! Hopperween is one of the biggest Halloween costume contests in the state- bring your horse, dress them up, and show them off! 2024 will be the ranch’s 13th Hopperween, and I expect it will be the best one, yet. It’s always the Saturday before Halloween, so mark your calendars, people.
At Christmas time, they hold a Give Back event, where Santa stops by to give gifts to the children. The ponies all dress up like elves and there are tons of cookies to decorate! There may not be snow, but there’s no shortage of Christmas spirit at Hopper Ranch.
Hopper Ranch is an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday city living, full of memories of times long gone. The stone fireplace, built in 1936, was on the property when the Hopper’s purchased it and Courtney’s father, Jack, built a small structure around it where they now host their birthday parties from. The wooden bridge across the creek running through the property and the treehouse over the large outdoor arena were also built by Jack Hopper, who owned a construction company. There’s not a single spot on Hopper Ranch that isn’t cared for with love. There’s even a community garden on the property, with vegetables.
All managed by six people (until the summer, when the crew grows to about thirty-five), there are currently no boarding spaces available but you can get behind me on the waitlist for your horse’s spot on a little slice of paradise close to home. If you don’t have your own horse, I highly recommend signing up for lessons with a group of people passionate about teaching and horses or taking an hour retreat out of the city to decompress on a trail ride. Hopper Ranch is a wonderful reminder of Aubrey’s roots as the town continues to grow you don’t want to miss.
From Courtney
Advice for someone starting out? “Be prepared to put in more hours than a 9 to 5. But its worth it because it is a lot more enjoyable and rewarding than a 9 to 5. Merry says to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of business insurance because it will rule your life.”
Favorite Part of the job: The kids & the awesome horses. Without them, there’s no “us”.
Local Favorites: For Breakfast, Courtney loves Upper Park in downtown Aubrey- “Get the waffles!”
For dinner, it’s Buff’s Grill in Pilot Point- “Chicken Fried steak with extra gravy and onion rings well done as an appetizer!”
Courtney also recommends Star Cleaner off highway 377 for all your dry cleaning needs.
Uncover Gems
Discover Local Excellence
Missed last weeks article? Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all the latest happening around you!