Ree Drummond, known as the Pioneer Woman, has seen her daughter Paige Drummond return to her Oklahoma roots, leaving behind a corporate job to embrace the life of a cattle rancher on the family ranch. This marks Paige as the first of Ree and Ladd Drummond’s five children to return to Pawhuska and work full-time alongside her father in their ranching business.
Paige’s story, initially featured in The Pioneer Woman Magazine’s fall 2024 issue and later shared on Ree’s popular blog, details her shift from a Dallas office to the sprawling Drummond Ranch. Growing up on the ranch instilled in Paige a deep connection to the land, making the confines of an office environment feel restrictive.
ree drummond smiling/paige drummond on the ranch leaning on her horse
In a candid video shared on Ree’s blog, Paige explained, “When I was younger, I never really thought that I would be back here working on the ranch. I kinda had it written off.” Her perspective shifted after college and experiencing a full-time corporate job. “I just really realized how much I missed it and that I just wanted to come back here and try it out.”
Her father, Ladd, offered encouragement without pressure, suggesting she try ranch work to see if it suited her. This supportive approach led Paige to take the leap and return to the ranch, a decision she describes as “great so far.”
While Paige is currently the only woman among the Drummond ranch hands, Ree emphasizes her daughter’s lifelong preparation for this demanding role. “She can really hold her own with the cowboys,” Ree stated, highlighting Paige’s upbringing on the ranch. “She’s not learning it for the first time. She grew up doing this.”
Ree and Ladd Drummond with their kids at a celebration for Pioneer Woman Magazine
The video accompanying the blog post offers glimpses into Paige’s ranch life, showing her working cattle and navigating the pens. Despite her ranching background, Paige admits that the reality of ranch work is physically and mentally taxing. “It’s a hands-on job,” she acknowledges. “It’s physical. It’s tiring. You get kicked by cattle. I have bruises all over my legs. It’s definitely something where you kind of feel and see the physical toll of it.”
However, she appreciates the equal treatment she receives from her colleagues. “Thankfully, no one really treats me any differently than the next person,” Paige says. “They don’t expect me to take it any easier, so I have to work just as hard as everyone else.”
The early mornings are particularly challenging for Paige. “For this job, it’s like multiple 4 a.m. mornings every day doing that and then working like 12-13 hour days, it gets to be pretty exhausting,” she explains. Despite the demanding schedule, Paige expresses gratitude and love for being “out on the land.”
paige drummond driving a truck on the ranch
A typical day for Paige begins at 3:30 a.m. with horse feeding, followed by saddling up and a lengthy drive to leased land in Kansas. There, she engages in the essential ranch tasks of wrangling, vaccinating, and branding calves.
Paige is keen to dispel the romanticized image of ranch life often portrayed in media. “I don’t think a lot of people understand what it’s really like,” she comments. “Ranch life is glamorized on TV.” She elaborates on the disparity between perception and reality, noting, “You see people riding horses, and it looks wonderful. If you could ride your horse all day, every day, everyone would want this job.”
The less glamorous aspects, according to Paige, constitute “90% of the time it’s just hard, hard work. You’re getting kicked, you’re getting crap on you, you’re fixing fence, you’re doctoring cattle…it’s a time-consuming, exhausting — yet rewarding —profession.”
Paige recounts how Ladd involved all his children in ranch work from a young age, leveraging their homeschooling schedule to provide ranch experience. “He definitely wanted us to work,” she recalls. “When we were kids, we would work quite a bit. We were also homeschooled, so it kind of gave us a lot more opportunity for him to take us out there and work.” Now, as a full-time rancher, Paige is taking on more responsibilities and learning new skills beyond her childhood experiences.
Ree Drummond
While Paige is the first Drummond sibling to return to the ranch full-time, she anticipates her brothers will follow suit. Ree and Ladd’s other children include Alex, Bryce, Jamar, and Todd. “They’ll definitely come back,” Paige predicts, expressing excitement about the prospect of working alongside her brothers in the future. “So it’s just a cool thing to be able to do this with your family.”
In a People magazine interview, Ree mentioned that Paige, despite her return to ranch work and recent engagement, is not living with her parents. Instead, she resides in the former home of Ladd’s parents, Nan and Chuck Drummond.
paige drummond hugging her horse
Ladd’s mother, Nan, sadly passed away in 2018 after battling cancer, and his father, Chuck, passed away in 2021. This family home now provides Paige with a space of her own while remaining close to the ranch.
Ree reflects on Paige’s future on the ranch with an open perspective. “In terms of how long she’ll stay or whether it’ll be a period of her life or forever, we’re not really trying to predict or think about it too far in advance,” she shared with People. Similarly, Paige remains open-minded about her long-term commitment to ranching. “I definitely could see myself staying here,” Paige concludes. “I don’t know, I’m not sure, but for right now, this is great.”
This chapter in Paige Drummond’s life showcases a return to her roots, a courageous career change, and an embrace of the demanding yet fulfilling life of a cowgirl, continuing the Drummond family legacy in ranching.
