Page 33 - July 2016

EMBARKING ON A PASTIME
Meanwhile, Pete’s friend Jack Dube, who trained race horses in Giddings, Texas, had two daughters who rodeoed with the Scarmardo boys. One day while attending their kids’ event in
the 1990s, Jack suggested that Pete buy himself some race horses. The idea appealed to Pete. “I’ve always enjoyed horses and appreciate a good horse, whether it was bull dogging, barrel racing or whatever it was doing,” Pete says. “I started raising a few and have been running most of the horses I raised, plus I’ve bought a few, too.” Jack ran Pete’s horses for two or three years until he retired, and then Pete got other people to train for him. These days, Leon Bard and Brian Stroud train for him in Texas, Dave Correll in Louisiana, and Jackie Riddle at Ruidoso.
Over the approximately 20 years since, cattle have made the Scarmardos’ living while horses have provided them with a pastime and entertainment, and a mental release from the high-stress, round-the-clock six-day-a-week business of buying and selling cattle to fit each of their customers’ specific needs.
In addition to buying a few race horses, Pete and Johnny Trotter recently bought Granada
Pete and Jimmy Eller with This Is A Deal Too, a yearling colt by Dealagame selling in this year’s TQHA Yearling Sale.
Farms — conveniently located just half an hour’s drive from Caldwell in Wheelock, Texas — when it came up for sale, and retained co- founder Jimmy Eller as general manager.
There they stand Azoom, Bodacious Dash, Dealagame, Down N Dash, Hiclass La Jolla, Memory Keeper, Red Oak Special, Streakin La Jolla, Streakin Sixes, Tempting Dash, and View Me Flying in addition to offering reproductive services, boarding and sales prep. “Granada’s been in the breeding business for years and we’re trying to give it a big face lift,” Pete says. “We want to give customers good service, let people know we appreciate their business, and bring it back to one of the premier breeding farms in Texas.”
“Prior to he and Johnny Trotter buying the Granada Farms, Pete was a longtime client and friend,” says Jimmy. “When he started to get interested in racehorses, he came out and looked at the sale yearlings we were fitting, and when he acquired stallions, we managed them for him.”
Pete’s pastime has grown into a business that will see about 20 babies headed for the track next year.
THE TEXAS CHALLENGE
Pete’s a loyal Texan but he, like many others, recognizes that his home state faces serious challenges regarding racing and gambling. “We’re at a disadvantage not having legalized gambling; it makes it harder to do business because there’s so much more money involved with other states,” he says. “A lot of Texas breeders keep their horses in other states because of that; people want to have a Louisiana-bred
or an Oklahoma-bred ...” In fact, his Vessels- bred filly Time For Wine (Mr Jess Perry – Fine Wines, First Down Dash) will run in the Distaff this year in California.
“If you have a horse that’s good enough
to compete in the big races, you have to do that, too. Hopefully, something will change in the next few years and racing will be better in Texas,” he adds, “ — more people will want to stand stallions and breed mares in Texas. Texas is home for me. It’s about the money, but it’s not all about the money. I want to go watch my horses run and still take care of my business. I run more horses here than anywhere else.”
Cattle have made the Scarmardos’ living, while horses have provided them with a pastime and entertainment.
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