Page 30 - July 2017

“I’d say our biggest success
“
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r r b b b r r r o o o t t t h h h e e e r r r w w w o o o n n n d d d e e e r r r e e e d d d w w w h h h y y y t t t h h h e e e y y y d d d i i i d d d n n n ’ ’ ’t t t
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u n d e r s t a n d t h a t o u r a n i m a l s a r e j u s t l i k e o u r kids. We see them born and see their moth-
e r s d r y t h e m o f f a n d w e r a i s e t h e m . We ’r e n o t people who abuse their animals. We nourish them and treat them as part of our family.”
Mark says their second biggest challenge is g e t t i n g y o u n g p e o p l e i n v o l v e d i n t h e i n d u s t r y. “In this computer age, it’s hard to keep people interested,” he stated. “It’s a lot of work and
i t ’s a l a b o r o f l o v e . I t ’s s o m e t h i n g t h a t , w h e n you’re not brought up around it, can be hard
t o u n d e r s t a n d .”
With Mark’s “regular” job, their breeding and racing operation, and their involvement in industry leadership, leisure time is pretty hard to come by for the Browns. “Our one vacation was five days at the NFR in Las Vegas,” laughs Peggy. But they value a day at the races to recharge and reinvigorate.
Although they now do most of their racing at Los Alamitos, they’re considering moving to New Mexico and running at Ruidoso when they retire. “When we find the right place, we want to go where there’s year-round racing,” Mark says. “It’s hard to say when that’ll happen—next week, this winter, or two years from now.”
When it does happen, Mark and Peggy Brown are sure to continue building their first-class breeding and racing operation, with a bit more time to devote not only to their own business, but to the industry as a whole.
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m i i i r r r e e e t t t h h h e e e i i i r r r l l l o o o y y y a a a l l l t t t y y y. . .” ” ”
“Success is measured by a lot of dif-
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nt things,” says Mark. “I measure
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s mainly by the friends we’ve got-
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tunate to be able to meet a lot of the p l l e e i i n n t t h h e e r r a a c c i i n n g g b b u u s s i i n n e e s s s s . .” ”
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ntors opened up a lot of doors for us. Their friendship means a lot, and p p e e r r s s o o n n a a l l l l y y, , I I ’ ’ d d s s a a y y o o u u r r b b i i g g g g e e s s t t s s u u c c c c e e s s s s
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The Browns credit their success to the Being in the racing business, unfortunately,
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mentors and friends they’ve met along their involves not only skill but also a good deal of
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way. “We owe a lot to Blane Schvaneveldt, Ben luck. And the Browns take the bad along with Hudson, the Vessels and others in the indus- the good. “If they get beat, they’re not mad at
try,” says Mark. “We were brought up around some of the very best in the business and a lot of what we learned, we learned from them. Before he went to California, Blane trained horses for Peggy’s dad up here in Idaho and took some of our horses down there. If you try to be involved with the best people you can be around and have an open mind and learn from them, you can learn a lot about the business and about good old-fashioned horsemanship.”
And just as they’ve learned from those around them, they’ve shared their knowledge with others. “They’ve been great mentors to me as well,” says Brenda. “And, when Dad passed away, they stayed with us when everyone and
us, and when they win, we celebrate together,” says Brenda. “They can watch a race and say, ‘Our horse got into trouble so we’ll get them next time.’”
EDUCATING THE PUBLIC
Over the past few years, the Browns have faced the challenge of the state’s recent ban on historical racing and the subsequent decline
in the state’s racing industry. “As people get farther from the land, the Idaho Quarter Horse Association (whose board Peggy is on) has had to work hard to educate the legislature so they don’t end up hurting us as an industry,” Mark says. “We need to find a way to help them
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Mark and Peggy Brown say their pride and joy is Dreaming Of Kisses, shown here with Sherm Hadley (in wheelchair) after winning the 2010 Bitterroot Futurity
28 SPEEDHORSE, July 2017