GUTHRIE, Texas — If you are a fan of the show "Yellowstone," then you are probably familiar with The 6666 Ranch. The Yellowstone Ranch is completely fictional, but the Four Sixes is a real place!
So has the show affected this small town of Guthrie at all?
Nestled in Guthrie, about three hours from the Basin, the Four Sixes Ranch spans 300,000 acres. It's so big, that it stretches into four counties, making this one of the largest ranches in the Lone Star State, and way bigger than the town itself.
If you've watched "Yellowstone," the ranch will all look familiar to you. That's because some of the filming for the show was shot there.
"It’s certainly nothing that I ever expected I would be there in my lifetime," said Dr. Glenn Blodgett, 6666 Ranch resident veterinarian.
Blodgett has worked at the ranch for 40 years. He's been a veterinarian for 48 years, and knows everything there is to know about horses, with an appreciation for the service they provide.
"I’ve always been connected with the livestock industry, and then really I channel in mainly the horse and cattle industry after I graduated veterinary school," said Blodgett.
After "Yellowstone" became a hit, he's had a lot of inquiries from fans.
"I think of the show is probably brought interest from people that maybe didn't own a horse, that maybe they want to own a horse, and they see the horses and see what they can do, and it kind of stimulates an interest in the western lifestyle," said Blodgett.
The "Yellowstone" series centers around the Dutton family, who own the largest ranch in Montana, called The Yellowstone.
The family dives into drama with developers, Native Americans and the national park.
Jimmy Hurdstram, one of the main characters, is a troubled man who is later sent to the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas to stay out of trouble and learn what it means to be a true cowboy.
The show pays homage to what the 6666 Ranch is all about. It's a horse-breeding facility known for breeding some of the most well-respected Quarter Horse stallions in the industry. They're used for the ranch, arena competitions and racing.
"It's really been a goal to have good horses," said Blodgett. "We do embryo transfer here. We need recipient mares, or surrogate mares, for carrying those pregnancies."
Because "Yellowstone" is deemed as America's most popular show, it's actually helped business in this small town.
Not far down the road, is where most of this town is. The place that's getting a ton of business, is the 6666 Supply House. It's the ranch's general and hardware store, which still holds a lot of history.
"It was originated, was all the cowboys, there was nowhere within 30 miles of here that any of the cowboys could get a snack or anything to work with, so hardware, we had all of that, so it has grown over the years," said Karleigh Porterfield, Pop-up Manager of the 6666 Supply House.
Since the show has become a huge hit, so has their sales.
"Some people would be like, 'We didn't know this was a real ranch, we thought Yellowstone was made up along with the show," said Porterfield. "So when we get to tell people the history behind the ranch and how cool it is, their eyes light up, it's so fun."
Every day, several customers from out of town are known to stop by.
"People ask me one of the coolest things I get to do with my job, and it's getting to meet the people," said Porterfield. "We've had people from all over United States come in, even today, we had people from Australia. But 'Yellowstone' has made it grow into such an amazing thing, and really brought so much attention in great ways to the ranch, so it's a wonderful thing."
But the main question we're probably all wondering, is the 6666 Ranch the place to become a real cowboy?
"I mean it would be, but it would be very challenging if they didn't have experience," said Blodgett. Most of the working cowboys were raised by their parents doing the same thing. Not only being a cowboy, but staying here on a long-term basis is a challenge for them. It's not that some young person can't come here and develop into a cowboy, but it'll be a challenging experience for them."
One thing remains true here and on "Yellowstone:" The 6666 Ranch knows how to live life the western way.
The ranch gets very busy, but they tell us they also offer tours in the fall when it's not during the breeding season from spring to summer. You just have to call to inquire and set up an appointment.
They also have a paid internship program for undergrads who want to learn more about the equine industry.
The 6666 Supply House is always open to the public.