Western-Themed Events

Past Events NEW

It started back in 1960....

Kjell Nilsen, the Rancher

A father bought his 6 year old son the magazine” Roy Roger and Trigger”. The magazine was about a cowboy

 and his horse. From that day the boy dreamed about cowboys and horses.As he got older he started reading the real story of the Wild West. At the age of 14 he bought his first S-8 motion picture camera, and directed his own Westerns with his friends in the leading roles. After a visit to the great western-theme park; High Chaparral in Sweden in 1982, he and some friends directed another new amateur Western “Wanted Kid Wayne”.

In 1988 he went back to High Chaparral and worked one season as a Stagecoach driver.

 But it was first in 1990 when he, Kjell Nilsen and his family had bought a house out in the woods the year before it really started.

The place was named Pine Valley Ranch. They wanted to host a party for family and friends the following summer, and it become a “western-themed party”. They called it The Pine Valley Bar-B-Q & Stampede. The party was a great success and with cowboy food, plus roping, horseshoe pitching and barrel riding competitions and much more. Little did they know that a great tradition was born from that day on.

A new and bigger party was held the next year. One of the guests who worked at a large shopping mall approached Kjell and asked if he could take it upon him to hold a Western-Themed event at the Mall.

Kjell took the challenge.

The mall wanted to serve his cowboy food as well. The serve the cowboy food as authentically as possible, Kjell built his legendary chuck wagon, the “Travellin’ Broken Spoke”.

Horses was borrowed, and friends form WRAN (Western Riders Association of Norway) came and held western riding demonstrations, a new thing in Norway at that time. Roping-a-Foot was also demonstrated and taught. It was a success.

Kjell and Broken Spoke at WRAN-Ranch in 1995

Late in 1994 Kjell was asked to make WRAN a “ranch” in a big western-themed event at Hellerødsletta outside Oslo in august 1995. He was appointed the project leader, and his word was law. The ranch was made mobile and assembled at Hellerødsletta, with lots of horses, cattle, chuck wagon and WRAN members as ranch hands. It was a new and even greater success. For his effort he got the first award buckle from WRAN for “job well done”.

The next year the WRAN Ranch was used once more.

This time at the national horse show event “Hest 96” in Oslo.

Later that fall the bunkhouse from the ranch was barrowed to a big party for Microsoft in Oslo Spectrum for 1000 attending guests. It was a great party, and Kjell’s son; Bjoernulf demonstrated trick roping.

The rest of the “WRAN Ranch” was found to heavy and to difficult keep reassembling and was destroyed shortly after.

But once again  Kjell got and idée!

The same winter Kjell and a friend Freilif Sakarissen started building a mobile western town.

The “Western Makers, we make your day” was established.

Nothing was too big or too small for the new team.

There where “Western Day’s” to be held at shopping centres and malls, kick off- and cowboy parties for firms, western stunt shows and concerts, and private events. The town was travelling the road from Hamar, Norway in the north too Svinesund, Sweden in the South.

But in 2001, things change. The Nilsens ranch “Pine Valley” in Norway was sold. Kjell bought a new ranch in Sweden, as land was cheaper there, and more space was needed for the activities..

His son, Bjørnulf, called the new place “Capital N Ranch”, and the name stuck.

In 2002 a little Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) match was hosted at the ranch and a cowboy camp was build. Later the same fall the mobile western town came from Norway and was permanently assembled on the ranch.

The following summer the first Stampede and Bar-B-Q at this new location took place.

The western town got the name after a little river behind the town and a rock in the meadow.

Rock River City was born.

Construction and Destruction in Rock River City

In the spring of 2004, an other old horse, seven sheep, 2 turtles and a bunch of chickens came to the ranch.

Bjørnulf later moved to Texas and got married and left Kjell working the ranch. It sure was a lot to do with the old place, but a lot of fun too. There were now 3 horses on the ranch and lots of cats who always stayed busy catching mice in the barn and stable.

Then in 2006 the old head crew from Western Makers came together and decided to make the town bigger, better and to host a new Stampede and Bar-B-Q.

Ever heard about Speed Saddling? It's an event just like Roping at the Capital -N- Ranch

The CNR today

On the ranch you’ll find horses, sheep, chickens, turtles and cats.

In the forest there’s moose, white tail deer, fox, wild boar and lynx, 2 years ago a lonesome wolf passed thru the ranch. You’ll find lots of birds too.

In the winters there’s lots of work to do in the woods and in summers on the fields and pastures.

Kjell and his new wife, works at the ranch and when they need it, with good help from the main crew.

Bjørnulf now lives in Texas, but are kept updated with what happens on the family ranch thru phone and the internet. He comes with new ideas, and keeps the crew updated with what’s new in western events in US, making connections and provide things that difficult to find in Scandinavia, besides that he is the webmaster of Capital –N- Ranch’s home on the web.

Kjell and Stig taking the Limo for a drive.