Page 88 - June 2022

“So, we put her to work in the office and we soon realized how helpful she was, not only there, but out with the horses as well. The rest is history. She became an integral part of our business and our family, and we couldn’t have done any of it without her. Through all these years, she’s been a ‘right-hand man’ kind of thing. She’s helped make business decisions and personal decisions, and I always feel like she’s watching my back and I’m watching hers.”
Laura stayed at Royal Vista Equine until 2004 when she took a short sabbatical to care for her father, who had become ill. Around that time, Vaughn and Jill purchased Jerry Wells’ facility
in Wayne, Oklahoma, and opened Royal Vista Ranches LLC there following their launch of Royal Vista Southwest in Purcell, Oklahoma, in 2000.
When Laura’s father passed away and she was ready to return to work, Vaughn and Jill offered her a partnership in exchange for managing Royal Vista Ranches. “It was an opportunity to have a place to house mares
year-round and take advantage of the growing Oklahoma-Bred program,” Laura says. “Vaughn and Jill wanted to stay in Colorado, so I came here. That was 17 years ago.”
ROYAL VISTA RANCHES’ STALLIONS
As the breeder and manager of top stallions and foals, as well as the provider of reproductive services and sales prep to the public, Royal Vista Ranches has stood some of the industry’s top stallions under Laura’s management, including World Champion Wave Carver (First Down Dash-Runaway Wave, Runaway Winner).
Bred by Lucas Racing Inc., the 2003 gray stallion earned multiple Graded stakes winner status with 11 wins and five seconds from 18 starts and $1,005,946 in earnings. He was ranked fourth by both earnings and wins in 2006 following second-place runs in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1 and
Golden State Derby-G1, and wins in the Los Alamitos Super Derby-G1, Governor’s Cup Derby-RG2 and Champion of Champions-G1. In 2006 he was named the AQHA World Champion, Champion 3-Year-Old and Champion 3-Year-
Old Colt.
His leading progeny
include Canadian Champion One Kool Wave (out of One Kool Bud), who earned $388,638; Ranch Candy (Give Me Candy) $120,327; Sudden
Thoughts (Cee Cee Otoole) $437,115; and Kuhl Wave (Shazooms Doll) $225,014.
Royal Vista Ranches now stands:
• One Fabulous Eagle (One Famous
Eagle-Ladys Heart Of Gold, Strawfly Special) The multiple Graded stakes placed stallion, foaled in 2013, won five of 11 starts with two seconds and one third. He earned $664,547 with wins in his trials to the Ruidoso Futurity, placing third in the Grade 1 final, and the All American Futurity, running second in the Grade 1 final. He also won the Corona Cartel Invitational Derby.
His leading progeny include six stakes winners: Jettz (out of First To Celebrate) with $466,510; Muy Peligrosito (Peligrosita) $169,482; Mound Valley Eagle (Royal Fooseperrypie) $103,248; Kool And Fabulous (One Kool Wagon) $115,485; and Big Eagle Gone (And Poof Shes Gone) $86,270.
• Heart Of The Cartel – (Corona Cartel-My Streakin Heart, Streakin Six) This 2007 stallion won his trials to the Rainbow and All American futurities, and with limited foal crops, has produced winners on the track and in the barrel pen. His stakes winning foals inczlude Tres My Heart SI
105 (Famous Mariah) $100,557 and HTR Miamor Tequilla SI 105 (Sheila Tequilla) $92,566. In the barrel and pro rodeo circuit, he sired Mended Heart (Lifetime Earnings $20,000+), Viva La Corona, Tell Em Bellstar and Heart Of Fame.
Laura with
“. . . she became
86 SPEEDHORSE June 2022
Vaughn & Dr. Jill Cook DVM.
integral part of our bus our family, and we could
any of it without her.” – Dr
Courtesy Laura Erickson
Amamda Glidden, Speedhorse