Mike McKinley and his wife, Connie, have spent the majority of their lives ranching in Texas and Oklahoma. They moved to Kentucky to be closer to Mike’s parents but did not give up the ranching life.
Mike said, “Just because we are leaving the cowboy area, I’m not going to quit cowboy-ing.”
They decided to bring the lifestyle into the bluegrass by hosting what they call, Cowboy Camp. The McKinleys partnered with John Roberts of Roberts Cattle Company. Roberts was more than happy to open his ranch in Knoxville, KY to help educate people on what it takes to run a ranch and keep the traditions going into the next generations.
From a cattle drive to a cookout and cowboy church on Sunday, there is nothing to say the Western way of life cannot take place east of the Mississippi River.