Page 116 - February 2017

W WA A D D E E H H E E L LT TO O N N ’ ’ S S T T H H R R E E E E R R ’ ’ S S
by Diane Rice
When most of us talk about the Three R’s, we’re talking about readin’, ‘ritin’ and ‘rithmetic. But for racehorse owner and breeder Wade Helton, those Three R’s consist of rodeo, roping and racing, and not necessarily in that order.
“I probably spend about 75 percent of my time with my h h o o r r s s e e s s , ,” ” a a d d m m i i t t s s t t h h e e h h o o r r s s e e m m a a n n , , w w h h o o a a c c t t u u a a l l l l y y m m a a k k e e s s t t h h e e b b u u l l k k o o f f h h i i s s l l i i v v i i n n g g i i n n t t h h e e o oi i l l a a n n d d g g a a s s b b u u s s i i n n e e s s s s w w h h e e r r e e h h e e o o w w n n s s a a
s s m m a a l l l l p p r r o o d d u u c c t t i i o o n n c c o o m m p p a a n n y y i i n n a a d d d d i it t i i o o n n t t o o w w a a t t e e r r h h a a u u l l i i n n g g a a n n d d cattle-related businesses. “I love making money and I love horses. So if I can make money with my horses, that makes me happy!” he says.
He doesn’t fail, however, to credit the people who oversee h h i i s s n n o o n n - - h h o o r r s s e e b b u u s s i i n n e e s s s s e e s s f f o o r r g g i i v v i i n n g g h h i i m m t t h h e e a a b b i i l l i it t y y t t o o s s p p e e n n d d that much time with his preferred passion. “They’re people I can depend on and trust to make sure [everything’s going as it should],” he says.
HIS RACING ROOTS
Although he was born in Beaver, Oklahoma, Wade, now 48, has lived all his life in Pampa, Texas, where his parents moved when he was just 3 months old. He inherited his pas- s s i i o o n n f f o o r r g g o o o o d d h h o o r r s s e e s s f f r r o o m m h h i i s s d d a a d d , , P Pa a t t H H e e l l t t o o n n . . “ “ M M y y d d a a d d h h a a d d a a couple running horses before my time,” he says, “but I never actually got to watch them. I saw pictures and heard all the stories growing up, though, and that gave me the desire.”
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