Hug-a-Highland now open: Ranch lets visitors pet, take pictures with Highland cattle

May 13—Charlie Rich, Tanya Tucker, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Patty Loveless and Micheal Martin Murphy can all be found at the Lucky R Ranch on the edge of Claremore — the Highland cows, not the people.

Angie and Brian Rash own and work Lucky R Ranch where they raise cattle, horses, goats and chickens. Included in the cattle are 17 Highland cows named after old-time country music stars.

The couple has raised Angus for beef for years, but after leaving her day job in aerospace in March 2021, Angie decided to explore the Highland cattle breed. Highland cattle are known for their unique long-haired look. Their meat is lean and higher in iron and protein than Angus, she said.

"We had those two and I thought, 'I'm just going to play with them for a while and see what all the hype is about and why everybody likes them' and now we've got 17," she said.

Angie created a Facebook page — Lucky R Ranch LLC — for the ranch, mostly to promote their Angus beef for sale. After posting a few of her Highlands, the interest from the community instantly sparked, she said.

"I had strangers contact me and ask if they could come out and see my cows," Angie said. "It kept going and going and more and more people were asking."

Angie saw the opportunity and ran with it, branding the cattle meet and greet sessions — "Hug-a-Highland." She said she has had overwhelming feedback. After the Lucky R Ranch page was shared in an Oklahoma Day Trips page, Angie said she received over 800 messages in one day.

Angie said she has had people from all over come to meet her cows. Most recently, Kerri and Trinity Durham traveled from Sand Springs to fulfill Trinity's dream of playing with a Highland cow. Trinity said she can't wait to go back again.

"Angie and Brian were so nice, they went above and beyond to make sure I had a great time while we were there," Trinity said. "Half-Pint and Sarah Lee were so adorable and loved to be brushed and loved on."

After receiving such a large demand, Angie had a website made to better direct interested customers in scheduling an appointment. The link to the booking page can be found on the Lucky R Ranch's Facebook page. Sessions are 30 minutes and guests can walk, brush, feed and take pictures with a Highland cow.

Angie said they will have to stop bookings during hay season, because it is too hot for the cows. The ranch is working on opening a gift shop on their property where they will sell hats, shirts, tumblers and Highland cow trinkets, she said.

Caring for cattle is not for the faint of heart and Angie said she does not want to promote keeping Highland cows as pets, but rather give people an opportunity to meet the cows to curb their curiosity.

Angie said she is so glad she has found a way to spend more time with her cows and more time outdoors.

"I haven't regretted it a day since," she said. "It's hard work. It's a lot more work than my day job was but it's awesome being out here every day with the cows."

Angie said she wouldn't be where she is today without her dad, who was a rancher until the day he died at age 82.

"Everything I learned about cows, I learned from my dad," she said. "I just wish he was around to see this because he would so get a kick out of, 'people pay you to come pet a cow?'"