.jpg)
About
Flying G Ranch
The history of the Flying G brand goes back more than 100 years. It's earliest known record can be found in the North West Brand Book published in 1900 and the last known record can be found in the Alberta/Saskatchewan Brand Book published in 1907. We are honored to have the privilege of owning this historic brand and displaying it as a symbol of quality and excellence in agriculture.
Flying G Ranch is situated in the hills of the Gadsby Lake region of central Alberta; an area named after James Gadsby (1847-1932), nick-named Long-Hair Jim. Born in Ontario, he left home at an early age and crossed into the United States. The son of a blacksmith, his adventures as a soldier, gunman, outlaw, prospector and cowhand made him a living legend. His life as a soldier and an associate of the infamous Jesse James Gang brought him a reputation of shooting "fast and straight".
In the 1870s, he escaped back to Canada, and he worked as a cowhand on a ranch west of High River. His next adventure was working for the Canadian Pacific Railway as a surveyor, and Jim named many of the small towns between Peace River and Calgary. Jim met his wife, Mary Root, a Cree Indian, while freighting goods out in the wilderness. He was so impressed by her ability to handle heavy bags of flour that he took her for his wife. Together, Jim and Mary raised 8 children. Jim and his family settled on a homestead on the shore of Spotted Lake, twenty-five miles east of Lacombe. His homestead was the first registered homestead in the area.
The Gadsby family eventually moved their home to the homestead of their eldest son. Jim was a respected member of the community. In 1895 he helped build the St. Monicas Anglican Church in Mirror. This Gadsby Lake district as well as the Gadsby Lake School are both named after him. Jim died in 1932 in the Stettler Hospital at the age of 85. He and his wife are buried in the Mirror Cemetery.
Flying G Ranch sits on land only one-half mile west of the original Gadsby family homestead and is owned by Reuben and Karina Geleynse and their four children.
Reuben was born in Ontario, but his love of the western way of life and pursuit of a career as a professional bull rider, brought him to western Canada via the United States. He competed with the best in the world from 1997 to 2006 during which time he earned a Canadian title, qualified for the PBR World Finals three times, and won an award recognizing him as the top Canadian in the PBR. This award is named in honor of the late, legendary Canadian bull rider, Glen Keeley. Reuben's bull riding adventures eventually led him to meet his future wife at a rodeo in Dawson Creek, BC.
Karina (Tees) was born and raised in Alberta and overcame big challenges as a young girl who was discovered to have been born deaf. With a lifelong love of animals and horses, Karina was drawn to the world of rodeo and found her place there as a rodeo queen. In 1995 she won the title of Calgary Stampede Princess followed up by Miss Ponoka Stampede in 1998. Karina achieved the triple crown by winning the Miss Rodeo Canada title in 1999.
Reuben and Karina were eventually married and settled in Ontario. They had four incredible children and in 2015 returned to Alberta where they started Flying G Ranch and purchased the flying G brand. Reuben and Karina share a love for ranching, homesteading, and regenerative agriculture. Their vision is to produce premium, grass-finished beef available for sale direct to consumer as well as raise and develop low input, forage-only adapted beef cattle for the purpose of supplying other purebred producers and direct to consumer farms and ranches looking to source quality, live beef cattle.
