About
The Place
Sandy Valley is not on the way to anywhere. You don’t pass through it. You come here on purpose, or you’re lost. That is, more or less, the point.
The valley sits about 45 minutes southwest of Las Vegas, ringed almost entirely by mountains. The sunrises are the kind that make you stop what you’re doing. The sunsets will make you forget you had somewhere to be.
A Brief History
Hart Reynolds homesteaded the property in 1931 — a retired Southern California sheriff with Palomino quarter horses, a quick temper, and a ready sidearm. Workers learned to hit the deck when Hart’s imagination got the better of him.
Jerry and Marian Curtis took over in 1983. Jerry built the main ranch house, constructed the lake, fenced 160 acres, raised cattle, and got FAA approval for a private airstrip. For a stretch, before the mesquite was cleared, he landed his plane directly on Kingston Road.
When Al Marquis purchased the ranch and surrounding acreage in 1995, he paved and extended the runway to 3,440 feet and over time sold off 40-acre parcels to neighboring owners — among them Marilyn Gubler, former Nevada State Republican Chairman, who developed Sandy Valley Ranch on 100 acres, and actor Tony Curtis and his wife Jill, who established the Shiloh Horse Rescue and Sanctuary on their 40 acres.
The entire development, consisting of 440 acres, is the Mesquite Valley Ranch Estates. Each owner is entitled to utilize the runway. To inquire about the availability of parcels for sale, contact Al.
The Animals
Horses have been the mainstay at Kingston Ranch for 100 years. Eleven have been born over the past three decades, and each newborn was lovingly imprinted at birth. All have been trained for trail riding which is our primary horse activity.
Our dogs are our constant companions. Stanley is a service dog and the official mascot of the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. Stanley attends the Camp Cartwheel each summer as well as the black-tie Gala at the Red Rock Hotel & Casino each November. He also serves as Al’s “assistant” during class at the Sandy Valley school.
Wilson is a purebred Border Collie and “herding” is in his blood. In fact, we maintain a herd of 18 Navajo Churro sheep just so Wilson will have something to do. (And if kids get unruly, he’ll herd them too.)
Two parrots live with us as well. Bongo’s daytime cage is outside the front door of our house. When visitors hear strange voices imitating various people and animals, they can generally trace the sounds to Bongo who has been in his cage happily pontificating to no one in particular. But if you hear some someone LAUGHING REALLY LOUD, that’s Stevie.
Our menagerie also includes Sherman and Dexter, two north African Sulcata tortoises who weigh about 100 lbs. each. To counterbalance Bongo and Stevie, they don’t make much noise at all. They generally graze around the yard until one gives the other a dirty look, and then the fight in on—like two miniature tanks ramming each other and trying to flip over their opponent. We suspect they are actually fighting over a female. They don’t know who she is. In fact, they’ve never met a female. But they nevertheless fight every day just in case she happens to show up.
Kingston Ranch
Sandy Valley, Nevada