UP FRONT

Ranch Hand

T O Real Estate

How this boot-scooting buddy parlayed a wildlife management degree into happiness 

Blake Hortenstine graduated from Highland Park High School but found success in a job that requires a four-wheel drive and a Ranger bass boat. After graduating from Texas A&M University, he worked as a hunting guide, helping executives land quail, deer, hog and turkey. The Preston Hollow resident traded game management for real estate focusing on ranches. In 2003, he launched Hortenstine Ranch Company, LLC. In December of 2011, he partnered with Cash McWhorter. He is the father of Rollins, 9, and Hayes, 6.

What did you study at Texas A&M?

I got a wildlife management degree. I didn’t think I’d do anything with it. I went down to King Ranch and guided there just out of school for about a year. But then it was time to get serious about my profession, so I moved back to Dallas and did commercial real estate. It was cutthroat. You tell me something, and I’m going to trust that’s what it is. I’m a handshake kind of person. Some of the people I dealt with in commercial real estate would look me in the eye and say, “Oh no, you’re totally good. We got you covered.” Then they’d just cut you out of the deal.

How did you go from ranching to real estate?

I did [ranching] for 15 or 20 years, and then I said, “What am I doing throwing 50-pound feed sacks around on a ranch when I can close one real-estate deal and make the same money that I would make working 365 days a year out in August in the dust?”

What did you do after that?

Henry S. Miller had a farm and ranch division. I was there for five years as an agent. I got my broker’s license, passed the test, and then after about six months, I was sitting at my desk in my suit and tie. That was company policy, but it doesn’t make sense for a farm and ranch guy. I thought, “Hey, I can do this on my own.”

Where did you grow up? Is the accent for real?

I grew up here in Dallas. I guess if you have an accent, you don’t realize it. I always enjoyed the outdoors. My dad took us hunting, fishing and camping. We’ve got a family place down in Wimberley on the Blanco River. I didn’t grow up in a big ranching family. My dad is a banker.

What was your dad’s advice?

“Do something you love. Banking has been good to me, but you should really love what you do.”

What’s your typical day like?

You don’t know where you might need to go to show a property. Somebody may call and they want to go look at a $3 million ranch, and they say, “Tomorrow is the only day I can do it.” Once, it was after one of the worst ice storms. I hooked on the trailer with the Polaris Ranger and drove down to Hico, sliding the entire way. It took me four hours to get there, and we drove around the ranch in the freezing cold for two hours. I’m not a rancher. A true rancher is somebody that ranches for a living. That’s their sole source of income. There are a lot of people that have a job here and they own a ranch and they’re an attorney, and they make a lot of money, so they’re not running any risk. A real rancher is out every single day, watching every nickel and very careful what they’re feeding their cattle. There are some definite posers in Dallas. They get dressed up and look like Mr. Rancher, and they are just not.

How long have you lived in Preston Hollow? Since 2003. It’s quiet. I’ve got good neighbors on both sides.

Tell me about your sons. They love the outdoors. All they want to do is fish. My oldest, Rollins, loves equipment. He’s all about tractors, skid steers and mowers. He mows the yard and weed eats and blows and has probably as many tools as I do. And then Hayes is a fishing machine.

What do you do for fun?

I still hunt and fish. I like to go run around Bachman Lake. It’s therapeutic.

What are your most essential items for work?

A pickup truck, a toolbox full of tools and a cell phone.

What kind of truck do you drive?

A GMC Crew Cab pickup, four-wheel drive. We’ve got a Polaris Ranger. I’ve got a little place that I bought about 12 years ago southeast of Albany, [Texas]. I haven’t built a house on it or anything, but I’ve been doing a bunch of land management work and just go out there and run the chainsaw and get dirty and enjoy that. I’ve got a water trough. There’s been times where it’s like, “I’m sweaty, I’m dirty, and I need to go to a meeting.” I’ll get in the water trough with a bar of soap, put on fresh clothes, and off I go.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

THE BELL RINGS AT 8:50 A.M. at Thomas Jefferson High School and students drift into Room 161. A writing prompt on the white board asks, “Since you became a teenager, what is the greatest challenge you have faced?” For senior, Michael, and three others that day, it’s homelessness. In addition to the DISD-provided free breakfast program, volunteer Claire Rathbun is there each Friday with extra food, a smile and encouraging words. Today, she arranges Chick-fil-A breakfast sandwiches, bananas and mandarin oranges on the counter. She partners with teacher Cecilia Rivas and members of Walnut Hill Methodist Church to supplement the breakfast. The weekly check-in with the students forges lasting bonds. Rathbun works two part-time jobs, one as an office manager for a creative agency and another as a floral designer. Her sons attend W.T. White High School and Longfellow Career Exploration Academy.

How did you become involved in this program?

I tracked down someone from the homeless education department and they said “yes,” in fact there is such a program, but it’s sparsely attended. Only maybe two of the homeless kids show up on Friday mornings. It just so happens that in my Sunday school class, my friend Carol is the school nurse at Thomas Jefferson. So I was talking to her about this, and she helped me. I asked a lady at the homeless education department what was needed, and she said they just really need consistent faces. I coordinate local people in the community each week to donate breakfast. People can go drop it off at the school or bring it to me if they have to go to work. I just go, and I eat breakfast with them and hang out with them.

Are you the consistent person in their lives?

Yes, I’ve been doing it a little more than a year. At the beginning, the students were quiet and shy. By the end of the year, they talked and joked with the adults in the room. It’s fun, light-hearted and a time of fellowship. If they have a serious topic, Ms. Rivas is in there, and they can go to her for help.

How many kids come each week? It varies between 10 and 20. It depends. For example, one young lady comes very often, but she’s also very focused on her academics, so she might need to go study or finish an art project.

What kind of food do you usually serve?

Well one thing is that the school is required to provide food. So, even if I didn’t bring anything, they would have food. People donate anything from breakfast tacos to Chick-fil-A chicken minis. Sometimes it’ll be those Owens sausage biscuits, and I’ll heat them up at my house. I ask for fresh fruit. People bring apples, bananas and oranges — things that are easy for the kids to put in their backpacks and eat later.

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Is there anyone special that you’ve gotten to know over the years?

Deja is the young lady I was talking about earlier. She’s really focused on academics. She’s funny and smart. She cracks jokes. She tries to eat healthy. She’s sweet and friendly to everybody. There was a young man named Junius. I was so sad when he told me at the end of the year he was transferring to South Grand Prairie High School because that’s where his mom lives. He was just so quiet at the beginning of the year, and he had a hoodie on all the time, just like my son does. It’s like a little cocoon you’re hiding in. We started talking, and we gave each other hugs. Ms. Rivas reached out to me about him and some other boys who weren’t going to have anything for Christmas. I was able to gather some money. I went to Target. They had Christmas presents due to people’s generosity. I got them clothes, shoes and a basketball.

Who else stands out?

In May of 2017, Ms. Rivas called and told me about a young lady in our program who wanted to go to prom but couldn’t afford it. The community got her a dress and shoes. She got her nails done. A couple I know paid for an Uber to get her to and from prom. If you ask people for help, they are so willing. Our community is so generous.

How can neighbors help if they’d like? They can contact Ms. Rivas at cerivas@dallasisd.org.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.