Fans bid farewell to beloved gentle giant in Ashcroft

A Clydesdale named Bill was a beloved horse at the Desert Hills Ranch in Ashcroft for two decades where countless families from across the province stopped in to pet the gentle giant.

The horse was put down last week due to a painful disease called shivers and people are pouring in their condolences, memories and photos of him to the ranch’s social media page.

“Bill has been on the farm for so many years and I honestly can’t talk about him on the phone without crying,” said farm manager Chris Porter in a message to iNFOnews.ca. “He meant the world to the entire team and was loved by so many. He hung is head over the door and just waited for opening on weekends. Every Saturday morning morning he would be standing at the gate ready to come up to be loved by so many people.” 

Shivers is a progressive incurable neuromuscular condition more common in taller breeds of horses that causes muscle tremors in the pelvic limbs and despite veterinarian care and lots of love, the disease took over and was causing pain.

Over the years, Bill the horse could be found in his stall or out in a pasture with another Clydesdale named Mac, and the two were inseparable.

“For the past 15 years our family has cherished every visit with Bill the other Clydesdales at the ranch. My children were always filled with joy the moment they spotted him,” said Cache Creek resident Charlene Nelson in a message to iNFOnews.ca.

She said her kids would bring Bill apples and carrots and he’d come running to the fence with excitement.

“When he was in the stables, my daughters loved to braid his mane, and he patiently stood there as if he understood how much it meant to them,” she said. “Bill had such a gentle, kind spirit. There was something in his presence—his energy, his calmness, even the way he looked at you—that felt like love. For our family, he wasn’t just a horse, he was part of the magic of the farm and a source of so many treasured memories.

The weekend before he was put down, the farm had him under the willow trees on the property to allow the public to take photos with him. The photos will be put in an album to remember him by.

“Bill was around six feet tall and loved posing with people while they rubbed his velvet nose,” Kamloops resident Catherine Thompson told iNFOnews.ca. “He was there for a lot of years and will be missed by many.” 

Located at 250 Elm Street in Ashcroft, Desert Hills Ranch is a popular place for families to visit and purchase groceries at the fruit and vegetable store onsite.

Go to the ranch’s Facebook page to submit photographs and memories of Bill.