Listings by David Burgher

The Red River Ranch is just over an hour northeast of Dallas and the perfect gentleman’s retreat that lives much larger than its actual size. Located on the banks of the Red River 5 miles east of Denison, 82 miles northeast of Dallas¸ and 107 miles northeast of Fort Worth, this property is ideal for a weekend retreat or a full-time residence. Currently operating as a recreational ranch is well suited for a variety of lifestyles. There are so many activities on the ranch which include horseback riding in the open-air arena, hiking in the wooded areas throughout the ranch, boating and waterskiing on the river¸ swimming in the resort style pool, fishing on the banks of the river, shooting skeet off the observation deck, and fishing in the 3-acre pond stocked with largemouth bass, blue gill, catfish, and more. The wooded portion of the ranch provides plenty of cover for a wide variety of Texas wildlife that lives in the area and travels down and across the river corridor. This variety includes deer, hogs, waterfowl, bobcats, deer, turkey, quail, pig, dove and more. The river and pond attract waterfowl from the surrounding areas. Two feeders and blinds are set up on the property for hunting or watching wildlife.

Property Description: The prestigious 111-acre Mayer Ranch Polo encompasses an immaculate polo field, a covered arena, various barns, sixty stalls and a helicopter pad and hangar, all in view from the beautiful, custom-built owners’ home — pristine and updated, and of the highest quality — and the property’s separate office/studio. Less than one hour by car from the bustling Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, this is a legacy opportunity like no other. • 111 acres improved for equestrian use with easy access to 380, Dallas North Tollway, and I-35 • Outdoor polo field (regulation size) with viewing area • Indoor polo arena (250 ft x 130 ft) • Fifty-four covered/indoor stalls, three birthing stalls, four tack rooms, five wash racks, hay barn, equipment barn • Multiple fenced paddocks and large open areas that can accommodate livestock or function as riding areas • 6,000 +/- SF main residence • 1,600 +/- SF office/studio • Staff accommodations and housing • Helicopter Hanger and Helipad • Paved road access on Naylor Road and Historic Lane • Gated entrance and paved driveway to main residence • Current home to Men’s and Women’s SMU Polo teams • Minutes from Lake Lewisville The current owner, Ken Mayer, acquired the Mayer Ranch Polo in 2016 and has turned it into the premier polo facility in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The United States Polo Association (USPA) has used the indoor arena for several interscholastic and Intercollegiate polo competitions and is hosting the Texas College Polo Championship in November 2023, with plans to do so again in 2024. Mayer Ranch Polo is one of the cornerstones of the DFW Polo Association and Ken Mayer is its current president. By the end of 2023, there will have been 12 USPA tournaments run by this association, with most of the finals being played on the Mayer Ranch polo field. Property History: Polo History: Lobo Polo & Cattle first created the polo field and barn in the mid-1980s. The property was transformed when William (Bill) Steding built a full polo facility and the house, used as his own, until he sold it in 2016. The polo played in North Texas in the late 1980s and 1990s is the type called high-goal — polo played at the highest level and by the best players in the world — with large crowds at the Willow Bend Polo Club in Plano, where The Shops at Willow Bend mall now sits. (The Willow Bend Polo Club is in Little Elm, today.) Steding was one of the major patrons at the time and played high-goal polo at Willow Bend. Most of the polo players used polo fields and farms in the Cross Roads/Oak Point area, where they kept their horses and trained and bred them. Ken Mayer, of Mayer Ranch Polo, even played a match on Steding’s field in 1993. Ken Mayer/Mayer Ranch Polo acquired the facility from Steding (in 2016) and started further development and expansion of the property, turning it into the premier polo facility in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The United States Polo Association (USPA) has used the indoor arena for several interscholastic and Intercollegiate polo competitions and is hosting the Texas College Polo Championship in November 2023 there, with plans to do so again in 2024. Mayer Ranch Polo is one of the cornerstones of the DFW Polo Association and Ken Mayer is its current president. By the end of 2023, there will have been 12 USPA tournaments run by this association, with most of the finals being played on the Mayer Ranch polo field.