About Wayne Kirk
H. WAYNE KIRK
Over the past 30 years, Wayne Kirk has been operating horse ranches and related charities. As President of River Ranch Educational Charities, he has been the driving force behind Storybook Ranch, a horse facility located in Collin County that conserves a piece of nature in an urban environment in order to provide a unique facility for the community and for use by underprivileged children and those with special needs. Kirk has developed a horse rescue program for unwanted, abused or neglected horses. These horses are rescued, re rehabilitated and many re-trained for riding programs. Some of the many organizations that receive support include: Make a Wish Foundation, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts of America, American Diabetes Assoc.,and St. Jude’s.
Ranching and raising horses has been in Mr. Kirk’s blood since he was a child. Wayne’s humble beginnings in Oak Cliff included the dream of horses early on. His mom, Mary Kirk, operated the only riding stables in the City of Dallas, Halbert Stables located at Kiest Park and later relocated to Mountain Creek Lake, over SO years ago. He owned his first horse at age S and by the time he was 18 years old owned 14 horses that he paid for by bailing and selling hay.
In order to support his efforts, Kirk started and ran a commercial construction company for over 20 years in the city of Dallas.
Giving back to the community through his love of horses, animals and nature has always been at the core of his endeavors. He has been especially concerned about helping underprivileged children and those with special needs. In 1992, at the request of Catholic Charities and in concert with the YMCA, Kirk developed a riding program that was conducted at the Pines Youth Camp in Gladewater, Texas.
Over the past 30 years, Wayne Kirk has operated ranches including Majestic Ranch at Frankford and Marsh in the city of Dallas, the 22,000 acre QB Ranch in King County, the 700 acre ranch known as Frisco Horse Park and was most recently chosen to run Texas Horse Park.
The Texas Horse Park, owned by the City of Dallas, comprises over 600 acres located off of Loop 12 in the Trinity Forest. The Park is currently being developed to provide healing and uplifting resources through the gift of horses, animals, nature and community. These gifts will be provided to all people but most importantly to those who are underprivileged and those with special needs. River Ranch Educational Charities was selected as the operator of Texas Horse Park in 2012 with Wayne Kirk as President.
Wayne continues to give back to the community with contributions to River Ranch Educational Charities which provides services and help to other non-profits such as Minnie’s Food Pantry for the hungry, Samaritan Inn Homeless Shelter, American Heart Association, Child Protective Services, Hope’s Door for Domestic Violence and many others.
He currently serves on the Board of the Texas Stampede Rodeo, with funds raised benefiting North Texas Children’s Charities.