Faith, Family and Friends Hallmarks of F3 Ranch

Faith, Family and Friends Hallmarks of F3 Ranch

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

Faith, family and friends are the hallmarks of F3 Ranch. The beautiful 17 acre property owned by Matthew and Denise Fitzgerald southwest of Andrew is very special and a unique place they truly feel blessed to call home.

“This whole place was bought solely for the animals,” says Denise, who had a pretty bad health scare early in 2022. She was in and out of hospital a couple of times which made her think deeply about the future and deciding to reprioritize things in her and Matthew’s lives. The couple had been looking at properties all over Alberta this past summer and said they simply fell in love with the place when they first laid eyes on it.

“We had very specific needs,” says Denise, as they need the paddocks for the horses, plenty of room for all of them as well as an outdoor arena, heated shop and space for an events field. It checked off all of the boxes on their wish list and they took possession of the property in August.

Historic barn at F3 Ranch.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Even though they have faced several challenges since taking ownership, both agree they are moving in the direction that is much more fulfilling to them.

As for the overall plan? “We wanted this place be a sanctuary for people and horses. Any animal. We want people to come out here and experience the inner peace that comes with being around horses. We want to have horses that have had a rough shake in life to have a second chance.

As an artist, myself, I find so much beauty in their movement, in their presence. If we can take in some of these horses that nobody else wants, they will have a different purpose. They may not be ridable or they might have some sort of issues that might be undesirable to other people, here they’ve got a place they can call home.

The majority of the horses that have come onto the property are from Horse Heroes Alberta. They go direct to auctions in the Edmonton area and pick up horses that are going to the meat buyer. Unfortunately, in this province there is no real humane way out for people who have the best intentions for their horses, but if they get old or sick they just don’t have the funds to keep them. They send them to auction and gamble with their fate that way.

Graphite portraits.

(F3 Ranch/Submitted Photo)

Graphite portraits.

(F3 Ranch/Submitted Photo)

Graphite portraits.

(F3 Ranch/Submitted Photo)

It’s just not a humane process. It’s traumatic for them. They give us so much, their heart, their soul. They give us so much and to come to that end is a hard pill to swallow, and that’s why we want to do what we’re doing out here. We might not be able to save them all, but we’re saving the world for one or two horses.”

While Matthew is new to the horse world, it hasn’t taken him long to develop the same passion that Denise has for the four legged creatures. He is learning to connect with them and receiving careful instruc- tions from Denise whose love affair with horses began when she was eight or nine-years-old when her father purchased a horse for her. She has had a great deal of training and experience with horses and is happy to share her knowledge with Matthew and anyone else who wants to come to visit the ranch.

Matthew and Denise Fitzgerald.

(F3 Ranch/Submitted Photo)

Denise is hoping to be able to offer beginner lessons in the future so people can learn how to connect, understand and communicate with horses. Being a graphite portrait artist, Denise would also like other artists to come and enjoy the surroundings and find inspiration for their creations. Denise’s company, MisFitz Art is the perfect fit for their new ranch and she enjoys creating artwork for other animal lovers.

Denise believes she was put on this path for a reason. For her, “This journey now has put me on the path that I need to be on. This road has been hard. It hasn’t gone the way we’ve wanted it to go, but still for me, every day I see the horses and the animals I know I am making an impact in their life. For me, it makes everything worth it, every struggle.”

They are carving out a life they’ve always dreamed of and hope others will be able to share in their dream.