During 2001 we were contacted by Bob Lowe, who was managing the Ramu Cattle company at that time. Previously we had known Bob when he was the manager of Carpentaria Downs Station in north QLD. Bob reported that they were having considerable problems with the saddles they were using and would like to buy some of ours. Since then Ramu Cattle Co has consistently bought Kent Saddlery saddles and gear.
The Ramu Cattle Company operates in the Markham Valley north of Lae, Papua New Guinea. They run about 20,000 head of composite breed cattle and have their own feedlot for which they grow crops for silage. In conjunction with these enterprises, they own and operate a nearby abattoir, killing about 6,000 cattle a year for the domestic market.
Apart from the cattle operation, Ramu grow and mill sugar cane and operate a substantial palm oil plantation.
Lyle was keen to see firsthand the Ramu Cattle handling operation, so in September 2014 he set out to meet the managers and workers involved and see how Kent saddles and gear were performing in that environment.
All in all the time Lyle spent at Ramu was interesting and he discovered and learned quite a lot about the culture of the people living in the area.
His visit coincided with the annual Ramu Cattle Co Gymkhana. The riders were fearless and very competitive and it was a fast moving, exciting day of horse events.
It was invaluable for Lyle to observe the Kent saddles in almost full time use. The five stockcamps each have a permanent hut and workers ride out daily to boundary ride the open range country and muster the cattle. The stockmen often ride for 8 to 10 hours a day so the saddles get a good workout. Several of the stock supervisors commented that since they have been using Kent Saddles the horses no longer suffer with sore backs. The feedback was very encouraging.
At Kent Saddlery we are committed to customer satisfaction and welcome customer feedback about Kent Saddles and other gear.