How did you get your start in the horse business? We went to an auction in Ava in the early 90's and purchased 4 weanling fillies. With Ritchie's knowledge in nutrition from running so many cattle, we learned early on the importance of good equine care and 2 of those weanling fillies became "champion" producing mares for us. We still own one of the original 4 and she is still one of our top producers.
Why this breed? We definitely went with the Foxtrotter because of its smooth gait and good temperament.
What other hobbies/interests do you enjoy? We have had season tickets for the Kansas City Chiefs since 1968 and enjoy our "tailgates" with our family and friends.
How have Missouri Foxtrotters affected your non-horse life? Truthfully, we probably spend too much time with our horses and not enough with our children and grandchildren. Raising these Foxtrotting babies is not only a business for us but also a very enjoyable hobby. To do it correctly, it takes a lot of work, dedication & money.
Of the horses you have owned/shown, which is your favorite? Why? Our first show horse is still our favorite, Jazz's Dollie Anne. When we bought this mare, we really didn't plan on showing her, just wanted a mare that had a respectable pedigree that would allow "newcomers" like us the ability to raise an offspring that show people would consider buying. We then realized that putting her in the showring would do much more advertising than just taking her home and raising a baby with her. She not only was a good performer but her first two offspring are World Champions.
Who has had the biggest impact on your involvement with Missouri Foxtrotters? How? I would have to say that we were lucky to have met Traci Brown early in our venture of becoming a credible breeding farm. Traci not only gave us sound advice but has found some of our top mares for us, including our first show mare, Jazz's Dollie Anne. We have met so many good people in this breed that it truly is hard to only pinpoint one. David Ogle and Mark Holifield have always been honest with us and had our horses ready to show, and for that we are greatly appreciative.
Which horse in the show pen today, that you don’t own, would you like to own? What about him/her turns your crank? I love watching Teardrops On My Guitar. It is very hard to pick only one, but boy can she move!
Where do you want to see the breed go in the next year? How would you get there? I would like to see our breed do a better job promoting our horse. I would like to see some type of mare incentive, like they have in the cutting horse breed. I don't think we do enough to promote the mares of our breed and would like to see more articles on the importance of a strong maternal line. I would also like to see high entry fees so that the prize money is more. For instance, I would like to see someone win a trailer instead of just winning the use of one for a year.
What part of showing Foxtrotting horses keeps you coming back? I guess what keeps us coming back and investing more money instead of just throwing our hands up and quitting is the fact that I believe in this breed of horse. Because we live in a big metropolitan area, I get tons of calls from 50+ year old folks that are coming out of the quarter horse breed or the warm bloods and want to try that smooth Foxtrotting horse that they have heard so much about. Once they ride one, they are hooked. So, I guess I hope that someday we can proudly talk about what our top yearlings sell for; instead of thinking what an embarrassment it is.
