Page 101 - December 2017

to have to give for that animal. It all comes into play when I make a decision.
Q. You mainly run horses in Louisiana. How important is it to you to have a Louisiana Bred horse?
A. It’s very important. Our purse structure is so good for the homebred horses that it’s something that you really need to have to run in the state. When I first started, I would say I had 60% open bred prospects, or babies in my barn. Now, it’s a different story. I would say it’s more like 80% Louisiana Bred and 20% open bred horses in my barn.
I think that Louisiana has a completely dif- ferent program than other states in their payout and incentives. Louisiana has an outstanding breeders program. I feel like this is one of the strongest programs that there is. It pays so well to the breeder and owner, and I just don’t feel like that’s something that can be overlooked these days. We’re just as good as anyone else in our world right now. The stallions and mares have to stay here in the state of Louisiana. For example, if you raise a Louisiana bred prospect and sell it at the yearling sale or from home, as the mare owner you will still get the breeder awards that pay out 25% of what they earn placing 1st-5th in an accredited Louisiana Bred race. The stallion owners also receive awards, which are very good as well. It’s very much worth having a home bred horse to run, and
I think it allows people to get the return they really want to see out of their racehorses. We also have a really great racing commission.
Q. Which race meet is your favorite and why?
A. The Delta Downs meet is by far my favor- ite. It’s my home track. They have really great races there and it’s a very nice racetrack to be at.
Q. What is your favorite part of being in the racehorse industry?
A. I think that my favorite part is walking
out to my barn and knowing that I have real nice horses there. Knowing that I’m going into a stable of horses that can compete and can win. It makes everything easier to work with, and I’ve been so blessed to be able to work with these horses. I would say that the babies are my favorite, but they change so much it’s hard to say that. Really, it’s the ones in the training barn that are running and competing. I know when I go into my barn that I have a great group. That’s what I love.
Q. If you could change one thing about the racehorse industry, what would it be?
“You have to be very dedicated and you need to have a lot of inner strength to succeed.”
Trained by Kenny Roberts, Royal Bushwhacker was inducted into the 2016 LQHBA Hall Of Fame.
A. I would like to see everyone come together on the rules and regulations nation- wide. You don’t see the Thoroughbred racing industry having the issues with things like medications at different tracks like you do the Quarter Horse industry. So, I would really like to see the industry come together and get on the same page regarding racing. We need that for this industry to stay strong. We don’t need to keep tearing it up and make things more difficult. We need to come together and find a solution.
Q. What advice would you give someone who wants to become a trainer?
A. You need to look inside your heart and really make sure this is what you want to do. This is a really hard business and it’s tough.
It has a lot of ups and downs and can be
very difficult. You have to be very dedicated and you need to have a lot of inner strength
to succeed. I would love to see more young people get involved in this industry. I just don’t see that very much and I’d really like to see that change. A person also really needs to understand the toll it will take on their family. You need to have a strong family because it can easily tear you apart if you aren’t strong. This business takes you away from your fam- ily a lot, and they’re left at home and it is hard on them. Your family has to be strong to stay together in this business.
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THE BACKSIDE