EC September/October 2008
After being inducted into the National Football League Hall of Fame, leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl wins, writing five books, recording four music albums and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, what on earth could the man do for an encore? Well, the obvious answer is raise World Champion halter horses, of course.
Terry Bradshaw and Quarter Horse MVP Ted Turner are joining forces to take offensive action against the halter horse industry. For five years the pair has been discussing a business partnership and finally the time seemed right to make it official.
“It is the right thing at the right time,” Bradshaw said. “It has just taken a while to get it done.” Bradshaw said he has been a lover of horses for over 30 years and while he has had the opportunity to own some truly great animals, he has never raised a World Champion.
Turner said Bradshaw’s ambition to raise his own high quality halter horses is one of the main reasons for the partnership.
“It will be a challenge trying to help him meet his goals and expectations,” Turner said. “To help him do something he has dreamed about his whole life.”
While the entire crew at Turner Ranch is excited about the move to Oklahoma, Turner said the move is a little bittersweet because he built the facility at his current location entirely from scratch.
The orange logo of Turner Ranch has been a familiar sight in Aubrey, Texas for over 19 years, but now a ‘For Sale’ sign stands in the middle of Turner’s immaculately mowed grass.
After being a part of the horse industry for over 32 years, Turner has earned a place among the halter horse elite by produced 64 AQHA World Champions and over 100 Appaloosa World Champions. Still, Turner eagerly anticipates the new business venture and the chance to get “out of an old rut and into a new one.”
Bradshaw admits this merger is somewhat of a departure for him because up until this point, he has never worked so closely with just one trainer. “I haven’t really ever gotten locked in with anybody and I knew if I wanted to be a respected part of the halter horse industry, the guy I had to go to was the guy who was the best,” Bradshaw said.
Bradshaw said he has a lot of respect for Turner not only as a World Champion producing trainer, but also as a great showman. Turner said he remembers one of the first horses he ever had for Bradshaw was a youth gelding called Gem of Array. Turner helped Terry’s daughter Erin Bradshaw win her first World Championship with the horse in Aged Geldings in 2000. Since then, Turner has fitted numerous halter horses for Bradshaw and has a new strategy for the future.
“We are cutting his broodmare band down to eight great ones and will do embryo’s to try to raise the best babies we can,” Turner said. “We are joining forces, trying to help each other out, and we are both trying to make a unified effort to keep the standards as high as we can.”
Bradshaw compared this partnership to any other business merger as he hopes to establish “growth through acquisition.” He said that he hopes this new venture will be different, fun and something that will get people talking. Bradshaw feels that he and Turner will be a good business fit and have the opportunity to grow together and accomplish goals the pair has set for themselves.
The new location will be christened TB Ranch, a combination of the two men’s names.
“Ted Turner, which is synonymous with greatness and professionalism, and Terry Bradshaw, which is synonymous with someone who just loves halter horses,” Bradshaw said.
Part of Bradshaw’s attraction to the halter horse industry is a result of certain similarities to his previous sport of choice. “I have always been involved with huge, massive men, and these are huge, massive horses, so it makes sense,” Bradshaw said.
He describes halter horses as the perfect combination of beauty, grace and mass.
Bradshaw also said he is very excited to get back into to a competitive arena. In fact, he hopes to have his chance at the Quarter Horse World Show this November. Bradshaw plans on making his debut with a weanling gelding named Failure To Launch, sired by his stud CK Kid. The gelding was named after the movie Bradshaw starred in with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew McConaughey.
Turner said he wants to start everything off right at the brand new facility in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Located just off exit five, TB Ranch sits on 900 acres of plush grassland that includes a 20 stall barn, indoor arena, state of the art breeding labs and three lakes fully stocked for fishing. Bradshaw has recently built a new house for Turner and his wife, Darlene, as well as accommodations for his assistants. Turner praised the chosen location for its expansive space, freedom and secluded nature. Currently, Bradshaw has sold his house in Texas and is now debating whether or not he should remain on the ranch or move back into the city.
“My backdoor overlooks valleys and lakes,” he said. “Why would you want to move back into the city when you could be out with the coyotes and the stars?”
No related posts.
