Home on the Ranch

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his wife Wendi Deng retreat to their ranch in California whenever they can to relax with their daughters and their extended family.

Words: Kate Coughlan  Photographs: Matthew Williams

 A REDTAIL HAWK WHEELS on one wing, lazy but curious, watching two horsemen driving a small herd of red Angus-Hereford cattle. A relaxed Rupert Murdoch canters alongside Australian farm manager Rob Reynolds, helping move the cattle to water and the shade of a stand of Californian oaks.

"I’ve had trouble keeping up with Mr Murdoch on horseback," says Rob who, as a champion quarter-horse competitor, is no slouch in the saddle. Rob worked for Carmel Ranch Company when it was one of the leading quarter-horse establishments in the United States. That was before Rupert Murdoch purchased it a decade ago. Today the only horses on the 1600-hectare property are hacks and ponies for the Murdoch family and their guests.

"The cattle only just pay for themselves but with horses it’s good money after bad," says Rupert in such a disapproving tone one feels disappointed at the horses for such a poor performance. This tone accompanies all conversations in which value is discussed: from the "incredible value" of $9 shirts and Mexican cookware at the local Wal-Mart store in Salinas to the potential value of new Internet businesses. Value is the thing.

"My young children enjoy riding," he says, brightening a little on the subject of good-money-after-bad horses. "There are a couple of ponies for them to learn to ride on. They had a lesson with Rob this morning. At three-and-a-half and two they are a bit young but we want to get them into riding and when they are older they’ll get used to it. My eldest daughter, Prue, and her children – my grandchildren – also enjoy riding. And Elisabeth, my second daughter, often used to come here to ride.

"I still ride occasionally but we have pretty sandy soil here and a lot of gopher holes and ground squirrels so you’ve got to be careful."

Wendi, Grace, Chloe and Rupert relax at home.

The value of the ranch lies in what it means to the family. This close-knit extended clan includes children ranging from 45-year-old Prue McLeod (daughter from his first marriage to Patricia Booker), Lachlan, Elisabeth and James (children of Rupert and his second wife, Anna Torv) to toddlers Grace and Chloe, daughters with wife Wendi Deng (a former Murdoch corporate affairs executive).

"I come here because my family and I love it. My whole family loves it and I feel completely relaxed here. We try and come at this time of the year (summer) and at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s where we gather as a family. It’s a lovely house, a solid house and there is room for them all to be here at once. There are a couple of tennis ranches down the valley if you want to get some extra exercise. I love tennis but I’m not much good at it.

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