Written by Eclectic Horseman A collection of memories from Eclectic Readers about the late Tom Dorrance. Connie Brown: I never knew Tom Dorrance but all of my “teachers” are horses and trainers from his lineage. He made a great contribution to the good for both horses and horsemen and horsewomen today. Every day I delight […]
Written by Jim Overstreet Photo by Heather Hafleigh This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.13 The Flying D Ranch cowboys were branding calves when Tom Dorrance drove up. Jim Thompson, a teenager at the time, still vividly recalls the day. Tom had visited only briefly when Jack Shell offered up his horse so […]
Written by Eclectic Horseman 1. How did you get involved with horses? I grew up on a ranch in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado. We ran cattle and did everything horseback except the fencing, irrigating and haying. I learned to cowboy from my father and uncles who learned from their father and so […]
Written by Eclectic Horseman 1. How did you get involved with horses? I was an eastern-born, California-raised “town kid,” the proverbial black sheep when it came to dreams and later my profession. I saved up three hundred bucks by the time I hit 12 and was allowed to buy my first horse. She cost $300, […]
Written by Eclectic Horseman Chuck Stormes: Saddlemaker and President of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association EH: What was the inspiration for starting the TCAA? CS: The idea has been around for twenty years or more. I remember discussing it occasionally in the eighties with other craftsmen and artists. When Joe Beeler helped with the Trappings […]
Written by Eclectic Horseman 1. How did you get involved with horses? I was raised on a ranch in LaVeta, Colorado, where I day worked and rode bareback horses. I’ve always been around horses and had ridden colts for a few people. My cousin introduced me to Charlie Van Norman. Charlie told me if I […]
Written by Eclectic Horseman 1. How did you get involved with horses? We raised Quarter Horses and my dad rodeoed when I was a kid. I’ve always been around horses but was really never interested until I was about 20. I was trying to rodeo, and a ranch had a horse that would buck a […]
Written by Jennifer K. Hancock This article appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.7 Reprinted from the June 2002 issue of The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal. Ray Hunt offers more help for horses that are having problems with their people and their environment. As the beautifully conformed sorrel stallion steps from the barn, you can tell […]
Written by Jennifer K. Hancock This article appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.6 Reprinted from the May 2002 issue of The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal. Ray Hunt offers a different approach to exasperating gate schooling. The morning sun is rising, horses gallop around the oval, a few turn and work from the chute. And already […]
Written by Eclectic Horseman 1. How did you get involved with horses? I grew up on a small farm and inherited my mother’s love of horses. My mom was so worried that I would not want to ride because I didn’t get on my first pony until I was probably two-years-old! She said I said […]