Our Story

The Rockin Horse Cookhouse + Market

In the fall of 2007, Ralph Saemann and Laurie Leigh uprooted their lives in Regina and moved to Maple Creek. They were drawn to the beautiful lodgepole pine forest of Cypress Hills and the opportunity to live in a small tourist town. By the spring of 2008, they had purchased a local restaurant and The Rockin Horse Cookhouse was born. In 2020, they added a Market to sell restaurant quality goods for customers to take home.

Ralph learned how to cook under an old school European Chef named Hank. That meant making everything from scratch! 40+ years later, he continues to apply his vast knowledge of food preparation to the delicious comfort food that is served today. He ages and cuts all the steaks fresh, handpacks the burgers, bakes the kaiser buns, french bread and pizza dough is made fresh daily, and serves up a heapin’ helping of great food.

Laurie brought her marketing and organizational skills to the restaurant, creating the menus, table talkers and social media branding. She is a Food & Beverage Journeyperson and has trained the front end servers for the past 15 years. She believes strongly that their customers receive the best service along with their delicious meal.

Ralph and Laurie had the privilege of being featured on the hit Canadian show Still Standing, making their signature dessert, Horse Nuts, with Johnny Harris. They have also been recognized by the Maple Creek Chamber of Commerce for Outstanding Customer Service and a Sask Tourism finalist for Excellence in Customer Service.

These two entrepreneurs have created a very welcoming, comfortable atmosphere where they deliver exceptional service and comfort food to their visitors. Stop by!