Buddy is our family’s oldest horse. He’s been here longer than I have.
I met him when I did not have jowls.
Buddy lives happily among our other horses, Snip, LB, Jack, Peso, Cutter, Bronco, and Red.
But there’s one thing about Buddy that’s different from the other horses.
The old guy’s retired. It’s been over a year since a saddle touched his back. He just doesn’t have the stamina to go the distance anymore. His legs aren’t what they used to be.
So ol’ Buddy spends his days grazing, grazing…and grazing. Oh, I see him running around with his equine brothers from time to time, usually in the morning when he’s a little more full of vim and vigor.
But most of the time, he just grazes.
Boy, has he earned it.
When I look at ol’ Buddy, I’m filled with admiration and I feel a little sad. Admiration, because of the miles he’s traveled…the chores he’s accomplished…the humans he’s loyally and lovingly carried through creeks, over rocky ground, down steep hills. He was Marlboro Man’s horse for years. Then he was my childrens’ horse. They all rode him at one time or another.
I rode him, too.
He almost bucked me off once.
Okay, twice. I think he was making sure I remembered who’d been here longer.
But that’s not why I feel sad when I see him.
I feel sad because I know the day will come when Buddy’s not with us anymore.
And I really have no idea what that’s going to feel like.
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
