Reindeer Right Here in Oklahoma!

I recently brought Isabelle to a birthday party that involved reindeer. That’s right – reindeer! Through that, I was introduced to Reindeer Club of Oklahoma. Did you think reindeer spent the rest of the year relaxing in the North Pole? Not all of them. Some happy reindeer, who happen to be relatives of Santa’s fantastic sleigh companions, live right here in our great state!

I asked Nick Ledbetter, owner of Reindeer Club of Oklahoma, some questions about his organization, which takes care of Santa’s helpers. 

1. How long has the Reindeer Club of Oklahoma been around and what do you all do?

The idea of Reindeer Club started in 2014 with a trip on the Polar Express train ride when my oldest son Parker asked, “How come we always met Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and elves, but we never get to meet a real reindeer?”  After about a year and a half of planning, preparation and education, Santa Claus sent us two reindeer (Hiser and Rudy) to live at the Reindeer Club in Bristow, Oklahoma.

2. How many reindeer do you have?

Currently, Reindeer Club has three reindeer on the farm, Rose the Reindeer, Grace, and Yukon. We’ve had as many as eight on the farm at any one time.

3. What types of reindeer do you all have?

Rose the Reindeer and Yukon are Woodland reindeer and tend to be darker in color to help blend in with their surroundings, while Grace, our Tundra reindeer, is a much whiter color, which helps her blend in with an environment that consists mostly of snow.

Grace, a baby reindeer, is ready for her closeup

4. Why reindeer? What is so special about them?

Our family has always been obsessed with Christmas and the holiday season. When Santa asks if you can help raise some of his reindeer, how can you say no?

5. What types of events do you all do throughout the year? What does the club do/offer outside of the holiday season?

Reindeer Club mainly offers displays October through December during the holiday season. We do a limited number of events during the spring and summer such as educational displays at schools and for some nonprofits.  New for the 2024 season, Reindeer Club is going to offer a limited number of velvet tours at the farm, where guests will be able to see the reindeer antlers growing and covered in the dark velvet that helps them grow. We are always asked about the velvet on the antlers during the holiday season, but by that time they have shed the velvet and are hard antlered.

6. What are some of the coolest facts about reindeer? For example, I just learned from you all that they do not have front teeth!

Here are three other fun facts about reindeer:

• Reindeer are the only member of the deer species that both the male and females always grow antlers. 
• Reindeer have roughly 9,000 hairs per square inch on their body that not only help them stay warm at the North Pole, but prevent them from sinking when they cross a river or lake while swimming. If they get tired, they can simply stop and rest and will continue to float due to air trapped in their hollow hairs.
• The most interesting fact, which most of us already know, is that reindeer are also the only member of the deer species that can fly.

Visit their website or follow them on Facebook.For questions about all things reindeer, reach out to Nick at reindeerclub@yahoo.com.