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“The thing about Lowell is, he’s achieved so much over the years in the sale business, but he gets up the same every day, with the same excitement and enthusiasm for the next year’s sale as he had for the last sale.”
– Butch Wise
“Lowell has an awful good eye for a horse,” adds Ruidoso Downs co-owner Johnny Trotter, who has known Lowell since they were kids in the Dimmitt/ Hereford area. “He knows the value of one at any time, and he knows where to find the good ones. He’s also an extremely good Quarter Horse promoter.”
“Lowell studies his craft, which is the sale business, and he’s obviously very successful at it,” Butch says. “And because of what he’s been able to achieve over the last 30 years or so, he’s well respected throughout the industry.
“He’s consistently produced results that
have benefited not only Ruidoso but the many consignors that patronize the sale,” Butch continues. “He has observed the foals of all these families of horses over the years. He has learned how each of those families grows and develops, and because he sees so many representations of each, he’s able to judge which horses will best represent their consignors at the Sale.
“He has been a great resource for many, many, many people. I can think of horses like Stoli and Hes Relentless that he bought for Mr. Hubbard,” Butch adds. “He’s able to really evaluate a horse’s potential and that has served his clients well over the years.”
This year, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated some creative problem-solving on Lowell’s part that led to the sale’s move from Ruidoso to the Lazy E. “That was the only place I felt was safe to do it,” Lowell says. “Even though it cost a lot to move it there, they’ve had an event there every week since the coronavirus started and since they’re in the country, not in a town, I thought it was our best option.”
Lowell and Butch Wise
INSIDER’S INSIGHT
Butch uses an old saying to describe Lowell: a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. “He’s like a diamond,” Butch says. “He has a lot of facets and no matter which way you turn him to the light; you’re always going to see a sparkle.”
One of Lowell’s layers is his farming
and ranching background. “He has a great knowledge of the history of ranches,” Butch says. “He has a tremendous appreciation for a really good ranch or a really good piece of ground. We’ll be driving down the road and he’ll see a good farm, or a good ranch and he’ll say, ‘That’s a good piece of ground right there.’ He admires it because he knows you can make a living from it.
“He also loves to tell a good story,” Butch adds. “He loves to tell you about some of the things he’s been involved with over the years and the characters. He loves a good character and he can tell you some great stories about them. And he loves a good practical joke.”
“Lowell is old school,” Jeff adds. “He’s an old dirt farmer, he knows how to look at a horse, he’s pretty direct and he’s funny as hell.”
“The thing about Lowell is, he’s achieved so much over the years in the sale business, but he gets up the same every day, with the same excitement and enthusiasm for the next year’s sale as he had for the last sale,” Butch says. “He really doesn’t consider it a job; he has a good time every day and he can go all day and all night.”
HIS OTHER LIFE
Butch is accurate in saying Lowell doesn’t consider his career as work. “I enjoy everything I’ve ever done,” he says. “— farming, the cattle business, the sale business. If you don’t enjoy what you do, you’d better quit and do something else.”
That said, he does have a few outside interests. “On weekends in fall when the
sale is over and the weather is pretty, I’ll ride my Harley Davidson,” he says. “Going to Cloudcroft up here in the mountains about 30 miles south from here is a long trip for me.
“And during football season I watch a lot of college football. I still like to watch rodeo. I just kind of stay busy. When you get to be my age you don’t really have more to do; it just takes you longer to do it.”
When he can, he also spends time with his two sons, Rodney and Bowie — who owns an interest in several Thoroughbred racehorses — in Victorville, California, and Eden Prairie, Minnesota, respectively. “Lowell is a great dad,” Butch says. “His boys are both very successful and he’s extremely proud of them.”
Perhaps one of the secrets to Lowell’s success in all he does, says Butch, is that he’s an extremely loyal friend with a tremendous sense of humor and a knack for making people feel comfortable. “He’s never met a stranger and he’s a great evaluator of individuals. Once you pass muster, you’re his friend for life. Besides being a very good friend to his friends, his friends have an innate loyalty to him. He has a following and he’s earned that following.”
Lowell presenting Dr. Leonard Blach with his award for 30 Years of Outstanding Service at the Ruidoso Horse Sale.
40 SPEEDHORSE October 2020