WELCOME TO THE JK4 RANCH ARENA
where the action is
MEET HOPPY & KAREN HOPKINS OWNERS & FOUNDERS OF THE JK4 RANCH ARENA
THEY ARE THE FOUNDERS OF THE JK4 RANCH
EST. IN 1975
ALONG WITH THEIR FOUR CHILDREN
TANGY, DIXIE, MELINDA & ALLEN
THE HOPKINS HAVE BEEN INTO HORSES FOR OVER FORTY YEARS
THEY HAVE HELD NUMEROUS TRAIL RIDES,
FUN SHOWS, TEAM PENNING & TEAM SORTING AND NOW
THE LATEST RANCH SORTING. THESE EVENTS HAVE
ATTRACTED RIDERS FROM OVER 7 COUNTIES AND SOME
EVEN FROM WYOMING, MINNESOTA & CANADA HAVE
ATTENDED..
THEY STARTED OUT WITH JUST 195 ACRES AND AN OLD
WOODEN CORRAL THAT HOPPY, KAREN & THE KIDS PUT
UP.. IT STARTED OUT JUST A FEW FRIENDS GETTING
TOGETHER AND HAVING FUN. THEN IT EXPANDED INTO
THE JK4 FUN SHOWS. KAREN IS THE ANNOUNCER FOR ALL
THE EVENTS.. SHE STARTED IN THE BACK OF AN OLD
PICKUP WITH A CB RADIO AS HER PA. IN 1995 THEY
DECIDED TO HOLD THE 20tH ANNIVERSARY FOR THE
RUSHVILLE SADDLE CLUB..
THEY BUILT A NEW OUTDOOR PAVILION
AND AN ANNOUNCERS STAND WHICH WAS NICKNAMED
THE HOOTIE HOUSE..
AS TIME WENT ON THEY ADDED A SMALL CONCESSION.
MANY YOUNG COWBOY & COWGIRLS GOT THEIR START WITH HORSES AT
THE JK4 RANCH. SOME TO THIS DAY STILL COME BACK OR
TALK ABOUT WHEN THEY USED TO COME HERE AND ALL
THE FUN THEY HAD AND ALL THE FRIENDS THEY MET..
HOPPY & KAREN STARTED RAISING THEIR OWN LONGHORN CATTLE FOR THE SORTING EVENTS. THIS IS JUST A FEW OF THEM. WE USE THE CALVES THAT THESE GIRLS PRODUCE. WE HAVE OVER 100 HEAD NOW.
THE ATTENDANCE KEPT GROWING AND WITH THE
OUTDOOR ARENA THEY COULD ONLY OPERATE FROM MAY
THROUGH OCT THEN CLOSE DOWN UNTIL THE NEXT
YEAR.. HOPPY DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO BUILD AN
80 X 160 FOOT
INDOOR ARENA WHICH HIM, KAREN, DIXIE, ALLEN,
MELINDA AND OTHERS FRIENDS HELP PUT UP..
THEN THERE WAS A VIEWING
AREA FOR THE SPECTATORS AND A CONCESSION ADDED..
A NEW ANNOUNCERS BOOTH WHICH IS
OPERATED BY KAREN AS THE ANNOUNCER AND DIXIE & ALLEN FOR THE JUDGES..
THEY USE ELECTRIC EYES FOR THE TIMING OF SOME THE
EVENTS.. PLUS NOW A NEW DIGITAL TIMER SO THE RIDER
CAN SEE WHAT THEIR TIME IS BEFORE IT IS ANNOUNCED
SO YOU CAN SEE THIS HAS INCREASED THOUGH
OUT THE ALL YEARS.. THE ONLY TIME WE CLOSE IS USUALLY JULY THROUGH TO SEPT WHEN THE WEATHER GETS TO HOT TO RUN THE CALVES AS WE HOLD OUR EVENTS IN THE DAY TIME. ONCE IT STARTS COOLING DOWN WE OPEN UP AND THEY ALL COME BACK. LIKE A FAMILY REUNION WHEN THEY START BACK. EVERYONE IS GLAD TO BE BACK. WERE ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE THEM ALL TOO.
DIRECTIONS:
WE ARE JUST NORTH OF RUSHVILLE. GO OUT OF RUSHVILLE EAST ON RT 24 TO THE RUSHVILLE TWP BUILDING ON LEFT. TAKE FIRST LEFT HAND ROAD ON BLACKTOP. THIS IS CALLED THE VERMONT ROAD . GO APPROX 8 MILES UNTIL YOU SEE A JK4 SADDLE SHAPE SIGN ON RIGHT. 1740 N. RICHEY BRANCH ROAD. TURN RIGHT GO 1 MILE TO JK4 RANCH.
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