Ka‘ono‘ulu Ranch in Kula, Maui was purchased over a century ago in 1916 by Harold W. “Pop” Rice, Henry “Oskie” Rice’s father who is a direct descendant of a missionary family. To this day, it remains one of the few nearly intact ahupua‘a left in Hawai‘i. Ka‘ono‘ulu stretches from the top of Haleakala to the island’s southern coast. To this day, the cowboys still herd cattle across the rugged Kihei dryland. In its early years, the ranch was full of paniolo like Hua Kekiwi, Harry Auweloa, Ernest Morton — the nostalgia of horseback riding, roundups, branding and racing horses are still felt at the ranch to this day.
In 1989, Oskie Rice became the manager of the ranch and is known for being in the Paniolo (Hawaiian Cowboy) Hall of Fame. He introduced “Monkey”, the first Santa Gertrudis bull, to Hawai‘i. He donated land to build and arena in which the annual 4th of July Rodeo on Maui takes place. If you’re ever visiting the country side of Maui, make sure to take a drive through the scenic routes of Kula, full of cattle, horses, sheep overlooking the beautiful island. And don’t forget to take us with you on your drive! We recommend the candy bead cookies for the ride!
