The original 150 acres of Kemur land was a turnip farm in the late 1950s. Gus Murray bought the farm in 1959 with the intention to rent out the land. However, in 1965 Keith Murray graduated from the University of Guelph and he proudly went home to Galt, purchased the land from his father Gus and Kemur Ranch was born. His dream was to be a cow-calf farmer, beef feedlot manager and pony breeder.
Christine Murray (nee Cooper) grew up in Lorne Park and spent every minute she could at her local barn from a young age. She worked at the Globe and Mail and enjoyed showing and caring for her one horse (never imagining she would be the caretaker of over seventy!)
Keith and Chris met in Toronto at a horse show of course! The couple got married September 2oth 1969. Chris’s friends and family thought it was wild that she would move to the middle of nowhere!
The couple was inspired with a desire to share their love of all things horses and ponies with boys and girls. Kemur Camp was established the same fall they were married. Twenty-five campers bunked in the house and Kemur Camp began.
Cattle roundups, canoeing down the Grand River and sulky cart driving was all part of the fun in the ’70s and ’80s. The old barn was our tack room (cattle lived outside all summer) and dance floor for Friday nights dances complete with a jukebox! In 1982 Keith and Chris bought 100 acres of good farmland adjacent to the laneway. The Loft Bunkhouse was built the same year.
So many changes over the years: riding without helmets, a wagon ride to the lake for swimming and both western and English saddles hung in the barn. Outhouses of course and boys! (Kemur was co-ed until 1992.) The cattle stopped in 1997 so we could focus on the camp and horses.
The late ’90s and 2000s were busy times. Keith was President of the Sport Horse Society and was breeding and showing Canadian Sport Horses. Cardigan was imported overseas from Wales for new breeding stock. Lee graduated from the University of Waterloo and Erin from Brock University. The Pavilion was built in 2002 and the Derby Bunkhouse with adjoining office the following year. The camp kitchen was renovated and the patio added.
Over the years campers have joined us from Greenland, Australia, Singapore, California England, and the Turks and Caicos to name a few. Over the past 50 years, Kemur-bred horses and ponies have brought in hundreds of ribbons from shows across North America. Highlights include winning the Governor General Cup class in 1998 at the Royal Agricultural Fair and Main Spring winning a silver medal at the 1972 Olympic Games.
We are so very honoured and proud that so many families are continuing to make Kemur a destination for their beautiful campers. As our Kemur landscape improves and changes we know the love of horses will stand the test of time. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years. It is truly appreciated.
