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THE LATEST WITH KENDAL OWEN
AUGUST BLOG Okay believe it or not I am updating my blog. I have so many things to touch on & I think that is why I have not taken on this task since well lets see... February!! But first & foremost lets take care of business. This is not a sales gimmick, or goofy promo indeed this is fact!! My new consignment program is working & I am sold out of horses. I believe in propelling this "Owen Barrel Horses" business forward "as a rolling stone gathers no moss". And in my latest endeavor I have learned this ONE thing. When people try horses they would much rather take a trip to try 5 or 6 vs. the one lone horse. Whether that be 5 miles or 5000!! When you can show a range of animals to a potential client you can better service that clients needs. Dont ask me why it took me so long to figure this marketing stratedgy out but it did. (Hey maybe that is why they have 1020 hd of yearlings consigned @ the Heritage Place Horse Sale next mo?) More horses, more breeding, more options, more buyers, more trainers, more attendance, somebody stopppp me!!! OR... maybe it was the fact between the outside horses, my futurity prospects, open horses & then consignment horses well I would have never gotten them all rode. While I need your consignment horses you must remember that I WORK FOR THE BUYER & not the seller which makes me a little different then an auction barn. @ the fall of the hammer in the action barn you now own the horse regardless. & well you are on your own my friend with that new purchase!! Whether he happens to limp, soar, buck or squeal!! I know that sounds bizarre, a sale is a sale if you are in sales. You would think a commi$$ion is a commi$$ion like in an auction. BUT the sad truth is horses are a dime a dozen & I realize after that statement I may end up only selling my own. BUYERS ARE FEW & FAR BETWEEN!!! I have this thing about me where I want the people that do business with me to have a good experience & I mean better then good!! Although this year it seems there are more buyers wanting horses. And that may be my new marketing tactic in having the groups of horses to show. Either that or I did a good job in placing the right horses in the past. And I like my job & doing a good job means alot to me. Happy content buyers buy more horses. I sold a horse to a repeat buyer from Fl. this year who drove all day & night to get here & she bought her last horse off of me probably 10 yrs ago (yes Dara that's you)!! So it is fact, if buyers get along with their purchase & truly enjoy their new horse they will come back. Horses are like flies the more the merrier!! Something that I believe sets me apart from the auction is having the consignment horses here where I can analyze them & I can actually tell you what they WILL & WILL NOT BRING!! I guess I am an appraiser in sort of a way. But I am also a dealer. When in fact I can appraise & also sell for you. It seems to me it couldn't be any more simpler then that... But for some it is still complicated because they will STILL want just a $1000 or 2 more then I can get & in a year the horse will still be in their barn. Of course after eating the $1000 or 2 up in feed & care. I hope with my guidance & humor you will read this & understand what I am trying to convey to you in the services I provide. And it is true although I do say I work for the buyer I am the one showing, tuning, training, hauling, sale fitting, & advertising your horse to the very best of my ability. I am here working hard to get you every penny you deserve for your animal. Horses are expensive habits but when in truth they are our passion.
Until Next month ~Kendal Owen Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
FEBRUARY BLOG
Teague Ryan's first ride @ the Lazy E Arena, Guthrie Okla!! This month I am going to touch on buying horses & buying online. I am like everyone else that owns horses. I buy horses & sometimes that includes buying online. This month I thought I would lend some advice on my own buying process & for the reasons it has been a "somewhat" successful venture. Something you may not know is many of the horses that came out of my program & went on to make really nice horses came right off the internet. And that means I bought horses sight unseen. Today sadly the internet is not the same as it was 10 years ago or even 2 years ago. Today the online horse market is absolutely flooded with horses. Due to most everyone has transitioned to the internet & the lower end horses can not be slaughtered for a fair price. The change in times alone accounts for the astronomical numbers in horses on line. People need to be even more aware of the horses being sold online. One of my latest mottos around here is “SOMETIMES A CHEAP HORSE AINT SO CHEAP!” Horses come with lamenesses & they come with bad habits that will not be revealed until you saddle your new purchase. But the one thing those numerous issues have in common is ONE THING. They cost the buyer even MORE MONEY!! So how does someone buy a horse fairly safe online?... Before I get into that let me make you aware. "NOT EVERYTHING I SELL MAKES MONEY". It is not that easy. So I am not an... “EQUINE BUYING GENIUS” but that does bring me to another motto of mine in which I say “THAT IS LIVESTOCK”. Professional buyers lose money buying cattle, buying hogs, buying horses, buying anything other then livestock!!! We all remember the Emu market?... Which way did it go?... I think it was south… But you get the idea. Sometimes it just doesn't work when you are talking ANIMALS which are LIVESTOCK. I personally buy a horse based on the fact that I can make the horse better with training. It is the safest & easiest way to make money for me. BUT nowadays it comes as a double edge sword. As in my business I need to train 2 & 3 yo's with the futurities in mind. The 100K races are where the money is at. But sadly the majority of people are scared of the young horses in training. Even though they don't realize when buying an older horse they may actually be getting less training then our young horses have had. We are talking PROFESSIONAL TRAINING not backyard training. Or a "wing & a prayer training". Meaning if it works "It is a success & if it didnt..." Well... "I didnt know any better so who cares!" People don't realize our young horses are better broke, started correctly & have a greater foundation then most older horses. People don't realize an older horse can crumble just as easy as a younger horse can. Well I am here to tell you. "OLDER HORSES CAN CRUMBLE JUST AS EASILY!!!" In my buying process, I will also include buying a started horse or a horse that is running. But no matter how much talent I see I always buy with the idea “I CAN MAKE THIS HORSE BETTER.” How I make a horse better is by teeth, chiro, shoeing, feed, worming, gear, rider &/or tuning. Not everyone takes care of a horse the way I do because it is expensive. And with that expense comes more financial risk. A risk I automatically assume. Experience with buying horses has shown some horses just don't respond to any of the changes the way you think they should. And that brings another facet into the equation of purchasing a horse. The horse has got to seem like a bargain to me BECAUSE I know I am going to end up investing more then my purchase price. Horses are expensive & need treatment to win & accel. The internet market can be a scary one and it should be. I personally shop daily for horses & am not browsing to kill time. I am what they call “LIVE MONEY” & I am looking for deals out there myself. I have become a pawn shop for horses so to speak. If you are seriously "selling out" or "in a bind". CONTACT ME!! But as seen on my own “FOR SALE PAGE” good horses are few & far between. Believe me when I say I could fill it with consignments and I can also assure you they would be nothing I would ride. As a buyer myself finding a good horse has become next to impossible even with the outrageous numbers out there. Which makes no sense to me?... Numbers should equal more talent available?... Something I have come to learn is, the general population will not sell a horse that is winning. Which is what continues to keep me in the business. "I MUST SAY, THAT ALONE KEEPS ME AS A LEADER IN THE INDUSTRY. I WILL SELL THE WINNER I AM RIDING OR MY BEST PROSPECT!" As far as my consignments, I prefer to ride a good one & won't saddle a donkey to make a buck. Call it pride or prejudice? I like to think of it as both. But whether I am selling a started prospect, a finished horse or anything in between. I am working for the BUYER to get someone into a great horse @ the most competitive price I can. Why would I do that?... BECAUSE THERE ARE WAY MORE HORSES THEN BUYERS OUT THERE! And the fact remains, IF a buyer feels like they have been taken. They won't be back for another one. And my business survives on repeat customers & referals. On a more personal note... It was flattering to be apart of the magazine I worship "The Speedhorse". My involvment in race horses is slowly developing & I am finding it a great outlet. My trainer Kasey Willis says my filly is training well. She is enrolled in the Black Gold Futurity along with the Kansas Jackpot. I picked this filly out of hundreds of yearlings I had looked at. She was not expensive, her sire ran a little but not a lot. Her dam is unproven. But she is correct & sound & has that air of confidence that makes me believe she wants to win. She is training like a winner. She is beautiful & whether she runs first or last,I will learn something about my new venture. That is what I do, I learn from every horse I buy & learning is moving forward.
One
change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others. Until Next month ~Kendal Owen
JANUARY BLOG Last week we were able to attend the 2010 Winter Mixed Sale @ the Heritage Place in Oklahoma City, Ok. The sale for racehorses was strong & the horses that were great commanded top dollar. One being a high profile broodmare, in which she was the sale topper @ $875,000. She would be the most expensive horse I have ever seen sale & it was exciting to watch. The rest of the horses I thought brought good money & if your horse fit that market I would say you faired. The buyers or at least people seemed to be thick in attendance as well. I hadn't remembered that kind of crowd at the last few sales at Heritage. But I am sure the actual statistics on sale averages are already published & I am no statistician. This is simply my personal observation from the sales in the past. As I am sure you have noticed I am a huge fan of quotes. They inspire me almost daily so I am going to base this blog on a few quotes I heard from a man I came to respect. A man that has owned what I call “serious horsepower” in the racehorse world. A man that probably didn't realize the value of his word or how intently I was listening as he spoke to my boyfriend & I last Thursday. This may not be word for word but I fully understood what he meant as we discussed picking a “bigtime runner”. “You can't see on the outside what's on the inside of a horse”. I am sure you have heard that quote before or have even read it somewhere. But coming from a man that had won so much it really impacted me on the importance of what can't be seen. That means a horse that x-rays clean may still come up with an incurable limp & a horse that has some visible issues he may never even know they exist. The best bred horses don't know what their papers say & the best built horses don't always mean fast. And lastly but not for sequence the very best trainers can't train them all into champions. Basically for every ounce of education I learned about picking a horse. Somehow, parts or even all of what makes a winner can be thrown by the wayside. Simply because we can't see the heart & desire of a champion, that only becomes visible once they become a winner. And my how we all love a winner. Whether we are chasing the illusive dream or obtaining it & needing more. We all love & want THE winner. “I thought they opened the gates & then we walked to the winners circle?...” The gentleman that day was Ron Shalz & his very first racehorse happened to be the one & only “Merganser”. What was once the World Champion Running horse & the 1988 All American Futurity Winner. The horse became a racing sensation & a household name as a sire. I would go as far to say “Mergie” as he called him was in one of those AQHA “Book of Legends.” As a “first time” race horse owner & that horse being Merganser, he said he automatically assumed winning was easy. But with more time in the horse business, the horses would assure him winning was not as easy as the days of Merganser. Too many factors are to be accounted in winning races & we all agreed that you just never know. Not forseeing the future puts the most important factor into play with that one being called “luck”. Nobody is in control of luck or the destiny of a man or a horse. Only time will tell what hand lady luck gives you. For some it will be rewarding & for others well… It can be wrecking. “He was just a man who once owned a great horse. “ As we walked off that day to view more horses I thought to myself “That could be one of the most genuine of people, I will ever meet in the horse world.” He spoke easily of some incredible stories with both humor & integrity. There wasn't a domineering air to be found in Mr Shalz anywhere. That day he sat down he acted like everyone else looking or buying racehorses. You would never guess he was part of the “old school” club known as “racing legend". He gave credit freely to his co-owner Jerry Wells, trainer Jack Brooks & jockey Jacky Martin. To this day Mr Shalz still owns great horses & I would place my bet on his stock any & everyday. Something tells me he is equally a force in his business in Colby, Ks. Thank you, Mr. Shalz for a wonderful experience @ the sales. People like you deserve another Merganser. ~Kendal Owen
updated November 16, 2009 NOVEMBER BLOG: I want to start to this months blog with this quote I found. One Hundred Years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child." -Anonymous I think you get the idea of the quote. But let me put it in perspective as a fellow barrel racer & even go as far as to say. "It won't matter what I won or what horse I rode 100 years from now." Family & friendships should always come first. The people in your life are what will matter the most in the end. Make sure they matter the most now as well. With all that being said I want to introduce my son "Teague Ryan Owen" born on Nov. 2, 2009. I feel very blessed to have him & be given the opportunity to raise him. With a new baby, I'm sure it will be more work juggling him & the business. But what reprieve to be able to look @ him whenever we have are having a rough day. He is absolutely perfect! Speaking of rough days, horses are like roller coasters & the ride to OKC continues to be wild. We are 3 weeks from the big futurity @ OKC & to be honest my filly is not working. The run has hit her & she is just running wild. I am struggling to keep her focused on her turn. Which is actually a pretty common phase in a futurity horse BUT this is an all new position for me. I have never gone into the superstakes with a colt this green. Usually they are way more solid right now & I am just keeping them together & healthy. Yes, I can say I have been pregnant & probably have not been training @ my full potential but I don't believe in excuses. I just hope I can pull her back together & will hang onto that hope. I truly believe in this filly, she has just literally hit a speed bump in her training. I also believe in the power of positive thinking & trust me I will be doing alot of that going into the futurity. And that is about all I have to write about this month. Happy Thanksgiving & we will see you in OKC.
2010 Race Horse Entrant for Owen Barrel Horses
"Jess Spittin" by Spit Curl Jess
OCTOBER BLOG: My sole intention of this blog was to be motivational for others while still being informative as well. This month I want to touch on the state of the horse industry which pertains exclusively with horse sales. Being in the sales & training part of the industry I think my opinion is noteworthy. What makes me a better authority then most on the trends in the horse market, is something that you may or may not know about me. I grew up in the sale barns as a kid. My stepfather bought & sold hundreds of thousands of horses. Yes, I was the kid slinging sand on the front row every night demonstrating "super nag" for dad & the other traders. I have seen it all from the good, the bad, & the ugly. Although maybe being young I thought it was all good, it was a job & one I was proud to do. I could poke one around with the best of them & I could talk the talk right with the big boys. Heck, I was even thrown out of my hometown sale for a little undercover alley swapping once. Which happened to be a "no no", come to find out... But where all this leads is, those times are over. The killer horse market which was a base line for every animal out there is no longer. No longer but strangley it does still reflect the price of the enormous amount of prospects out there. I think every horse has a value provided it be trained, sound & sane. But the prospect market weakens & the cheap horse market cheapens. I think in the prospect horse market before long dogs will bring more then registered horses. Which is sad. I just took a gdaughter of Corona Cartel that was unsound here in town to the sale & she brought $25. That just seems insane to me. But it all leads back to what can be done about it?... 3 things justify the price of a horse; sound, sane & trained. Without them you have nothing personally, I don't care what there papers say. But like name brand jeans everyone wants to ride a name brand horse. So where does all this lead?... Due to the volume of prospects out there, horses can be bought cheaper then ever. There are some great buys due to the surplus of horses!! With some time & training invested, your investment should hold up for you but remember we are still dealing with livestock. Pigs get swine flu, horses get crippled, & cattle get sick & die. Nothing is guaranteed with an animal!! But as barrel racers we need trained horses & as barrel horse trainers we need to supply the ones that can't or don't care to train. Why?... Because we love to run barrels & we love our horses!! Speaking of love our horses... I have named my $uperstakes horse "Miss Special Shadow" barn name "Twitter". One things for sure they won't outrun her on the straightaways. I just hope I can contain her to turn @ OKC on the fast track . I prefer a free runner more then a setting type horse. And I think Twitter is "MY deal" for a slot horse. She is alot of fun to ride & with a little help holding her together under the pressure, I think she is a contender. I have decided to try the race horse deal again as you can see by my race prospect pictured above. She is a fancy daughter of Spit Curl Jess. She is already broke & will be galloping soon. You won't catch me behind the ball this year or relying on someone else to do it. This filly is real mature in build & mentality so we will see where that goes. I like her alot & like this months quote says we are going to try it AGAIN. Until next time compadres!! " Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. "
~Kendal Owen
JULY BLOG: I have caught some grief over not updating my blog but one must remember that the mo has to happen before I can write about it!! But I thank you for all your interest in the ranch & business here. I am getting word from the PRCA trail that "First Bidder" & Andrea are doing well out on their 4th of July run. When I got the call I swear my heart skipped a beat in joy. No one could convince me that the horse "First Bidder" also known as "Jose" isn't destined for immortality in the barrel pen!! I'm sure in time he will earn the rights as "ONE OF THE GREATS". In other news, my futurity horse "Margarite Ville" is going to make her debut as a youth mount @ the IFYR the 3rd week of July. That is very exciting to me as her & her new rider have already stopped the clock in just a few short rides!! Its a great feeling to watch people step on my horses & be successful. Without that, what would be the point in training & selling?... Speaking of that Michelle stepped on "Sure Down Dash" (the horse I made the OFD Futurity Finals on) @ the rodeo @ Sulphur Okla over the 4th of July & won it. She even outran me! We were 1st & 3rd which was quite a showing for "Owen Barrel Horses" especially since we were both on 4 yo futurity horses. That was a fun evening & it speaks volumes for the training program here. We are starting to haul our 3 yo's around & nothing has phased them yet. They are settling into training & hauling like they are supposed to. That is a great feeling & this year I have a couple that are showing great promise. One thing I have learned is putting your eggs into one basket when having futurity horses could be a death sentence. So rather then selling mine off as I go, I am going to hang on & maybe even sell them as 4 yo's. Still... If you are looking for a colt that is started RIGHT I always have a few available that will not make Superstakes horses but are very reasonably priced for someone to go on with. They are always priced @ fair market value & I realize not everyone can afford a superstakes prospect as they range from $15,000-$50,000. With all the rodeo talk, people always ask me why I don't keep some of the great horses & go down the road chasing the dream for that elusive NFR berth? And I would like to take a little time to explain my thoughts on that. I am sure most everyone realizes the cost of going down the road but I still think MANY DO NOT. Traveling down that PRCA pathway to me is a huge financial risk & probably one I will never take as long as I am in the business. I am in the "barrel HORSE business" & not in the "barrel RACING business" (except for the futurity horse end of it.) So let me explain my theory more in depth. If a person were to hit the PRCA road & have a bad to MEDIOCRE year you could possibly look @ a MINIMUM of $40-50,000 debit. Not to mention the large risk of injury to your great horse (miles & numerous runs increase that risk enormously) & once an injury occurs everyone knows INJURED HORSES DO NOT SELL!! I do not know the exact ratio of competing PRCA girls (est. in the thousands) to the ones that make the finals @ the end of the year. But I am sure the results would be overwhelming as remember they take only 15 (possibly as low as 2% & under). Now throw in the animal factor (meaning you can't guarantee he will perform his best every outing), arena conditions (can't control the weather outdoors) & the perils of being on the road for mos. @ a time nationwide. Last but not least lets add the fact that nobody is working back @ home because your not there to do the work. It all makes alot of sense to me!! As a barrel horse trainer, I feel my job is to stay here @ the ranch & train horses to become professional barrel horses whether it be for the 4d's or for the rodeos. My main focus here has become the slot races & for $15,000 I can run in just 3 barrel races, competing against only 50 head per race & have the possibility of winning $300,000. Now it doesn't take a mathematical genius to figure out the best investment. Because worst case scenario I sell my colt who didn't quite make the cut for my investment back or even higher based on the other credentials it has earned. In other words I end up not losing & in the process have not run the risk of all the miles both physically & financially. Within my usual year here I have started several quality young horses to sale & rode some for the public which leads me to a very important factor here. One in which makes this part of the barrel horse business not apply to everyone. As a horse trainer, I know I can train a horse that will go on after the futurities even if my horse doesn't make the superstakes bank. Remember I said I am in the "Barrel Horse Business" meaning I am a professional barrel horse TRAINER. And that is the reason I stay invested in the superstakes races & mostly the reason I run under my own name. I also understand the Superstakes & Futurity Division is not right for everyone & my intention is not to push it on anyone. Sometimes the local shows & the smaller fees may be your avenue. While even still the huge rodeos do work for a few others. But for me, this business I have created is my baby. So therfore driving all over the country & being gone would mean nothing would get properly done around here. I truly enjoy training outside horses & my young futurity prospects. I absolutely love selling horses & watching them go on & win for their new owners. That is my sole intention of training the horses to begin with. One great horse sells another great horse & so forth & so on. I also enjoy my beautiful ranch here & the home life it provides. I am quite certain I am @ my best for you right here & ready for hire, home @ Owen Barrel Horses, Purcell, Ok. ~Kendal Owen
I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work. Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) American inventor.
MAY BLOG: Just got back in from the Old Fort Days Futurity & it was a long week in Ark. They definately know how to draw out a week over there. "Sure Down Dash" made the finals in 12th position out of 424 horses. He got a barrel in the Finals. "Margarite Ville" still continues to be the hard luck horse as she didn't fire in the trials but came back firing in the consolation & smoked a run of 16.91. She would have been second. Notice I said "would have" she downed a barrel again & I still don't know how as she was in no position to hit a barrel. The time she ran again would have been 5th in the time trials. She has all the ability in the world just no luck & for no luck comes no recognition. The filly can clock with the best of the best she just gets so close to them it can be hard to leave them up. But that is why she clocks, PRECISION & TIGHT turns. As everyone probably already knows by now Troy Crumrine won the futurity on "Hoosier Fame" that was the high selling 3 yo @ the OKC World Ch. Sale in Dec. Take into consideration the horse has now had a mere 6 mos on the pattern, so he is one of those horses that can "just do it". Congratulations to Troy & the Dahlens (his owners) as they have been longtime supporters of the barrel futurity industry & we like to see those kind win. It was a great thing! And so that wraps up the futurity season for this area until Ardmore in Sept. After visiting with barrel racing producers & fellow trainers, the consensus has been that the horse industry is strong. Horses are selling & still commanding top dollar & people are attending events even more so then last year. For example, down the road in Tulsa, Ok. the cutting event known as the BI or "Breeders Invitational" held their event in their new location of Tulsa. They saw an amazing increase of 40% in entries from when it was held in Reno in the previous years, now that is quite an increase!! Now lets talk about the latest with Owen Barrel Horses. First we will start with the race horse that never made it to the track. One thing I have learned is just because you send your horse to be trained doesn't mean they will be. And I will leave it @ that & with that being said I can assure you I will never conduct business in that way. My hopes & dreams may have been dashed on the race track but this filly will make a great futurity prospect in the barrel pen. One last thing I want to touch on & it is something that I have been thinking about for mos. Actually I eat & sleep it daily since my visit in March to the multiple stallion farms around here. I see people out there buy horses on paper & then wind up with nothing. I see people buy horses on conformation & then wind up with nothing. I see people buy horses on both paper & conformation & then wind up with nothing. One thing I learned that those great winning stallions in the neighborhood had in common with was actually NOTHING. Some were even crooked, some were short, some were tall, some were lazy, some acted like idiots, some were royally bred while others not so much. Even full brothers did not resemble one another!! So with all this being said is what they probably had in common was the ability & desire to train & win. That is what they had in common which couldn't be seen with the naked eye. Hence the selling price of the Kentucky Derby Winner, nobody saw the future Kentucky Derby winner standing in the ring @ sale time. They saw a smaller colt with less than stellar breeding stand before them & command a mediocre price. But come May 2009 everyone could suddenly see the desire of one little cast off known as "Mine That Bird" win against the toughest thoroughbreds in the industry. It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog. ~ Mark Twain
OWEN BARREL HORSES CLINIC ON APRIL 4th, 2009
Michelle Noterman demonstrating vertical flexion &/or "bridling up" @ the clinic on April 4th, Norman, Ok.
Clinic Participant & her horse "Rowdy" mastered the technique.
Shannon Hudnell gets direction on where she needs to be from Kendal.
APRIL BLOG: Believe it or not I am finally updating my blog, (& to think I was going to do this weekly). I finally have had a moment to slow down & look back on what the past mo. has brought & continues to bring. Here @ Owen Barrel Horses, we are snowed under. Lots of folks stopping in & lots of horses selling. Which is fantastic. We hosted our first barrel clinic on May 4th & it was alot of fun. Alot of work but it was nice to meet people & do a little one on one consultation with folks on their own horses. I probably learned as much as any of the participants. And one thing I learned is many of the horses were simply not "barrel horse broke" enough. Many could not do the basic maneuvers that are essential to barrel racing. We as horseman which let me define horseman- "anyone a horseback & not limited to professionals." We as horseman must educate ourselves & our horses in order to advance them. It is truly that simple. With that being said, I would like to make another comment that comes into play in this area of thought. GREAT HORSES MAKE GREAT TRAINERS. The reason why I am thinking of this. I have people send me horses that think once I grace the saddle of their horse, the money will pile up just like the owner would have won the lottery. Horsepower = Horsepower (that is what we call the great horses that have run through the barn here). "HORSEPOWER" Without horsepower, I am just another jockey. I can train & I can fix alot but without that certain degree of special. There is no way for me to make a world beater out of a horse that just can't beat the world. And with all this being said it also falls under the realistic expectations category. If your expectiations are in check your experience is more likely to be a joyful one. That is crucially import in this sport because I believe barrel racing is like any other professional sport. One day you are winning, the next day you are wondering how you ever won a thing. Barrel racing is so tough nowadays you have to be part trainer, part shoer, part veternarian, & part animal nutritionist to get anywhere. But it is like anything that you want to advance in, you must continuously educate yourself. If you don't someone else is going to & take your position. On a more personal note, I think I may have drug my feet to write this blog partly because I didnt know what to say about my performance @ the Goodtimes Futurity. It was a trainwreck. The horses I thought I brought didn't show up & I think after the first go round, I may have not showed up for the 2nd go. But I am wiping that slate clean as of the week after I got home. Both colts, "Sure Down Dash" & "Margarite Ville" went back to making really good runs so we are headed to the BBR Finals. Both colts made smoking runs @ Ardmore, Okla. yesterday. And that leads me to this thought. If I was going to ask a trainer a question about what to expect out of 2- 4 yo's @ the BBR Finals. My answer would be this. I would think these colts would be @ the bottom of the 1D & top of the 2D easily. Even though they are pitted against 1400 head & their first race was in Dec. Experience is not on their side right now running against the older seasoned horses. But we have to keep in mind they are super talented & both have proved to be able to clock with the top horses in the area. To me "the proof is always in the pudding". My preference would be for both to be @ the top of the 2D because that is where they will draw good checks. I believe, 3 tenths off & further will not allow a check in the 1D @ the BBR Finals. All I know is I would like to have the year I had @ the BBR Finals in 2006 where I raked in $5337 with the help of my 1d weapons "First Bidder" & "Troubled Regards". Do I think I can win that amount on 2-4 yo's?... Heck no but I like to think of myself as a person with "REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS"!! Adios, Kendal "Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced."
Kendal Owen & Troubled Regards
Kendal Owen & First Bidder
"Margarite Ville" soaking in the sun. MAR BLOG: The weather is starting to warm here & that can only mean one thing. Spring & training colts into barrel horses!! I have got 4- 3 yo's loping nice sets of barrels & 4 left to start but as a group they are all easy & working great. I want to get them solid & offer an assortment to the public this spring & summer. I have a buckskin, palomino, iron grey, bay, paint, etc. All 3 yo's, bred to run the barrels & with good color. These colts will sell with a professional handle & a solid pattern, where most anyone can step on & continue with them. I love broke horses & the horses I buy to train are bred to run & turn. I started 3 that ran in the LG Pro Classic & two out of the 3 made the Pro Finals. I am so proud to say that!! All 3 are futurity money earners!!! So something must be working here?... If you are looking for a good futurity prospect for 2010 give me a shout I have 8 or 9 avail. On another note my 2 yo race filly has now joined the Devereaux racing team @ OKC, Okla. She will run @ Remington Park this spring & she is a favorite in the Larry Devereaux racing stable. Her name is "Dash N Roll" by Dashin Is Easy out of the young TB mare "Rhythm N' Roll" by Pancho Villa. The mare recently foaled me a filly by "The Corona". Now we are weighing our options on the next sire, my ideas are Dashin Is Easy, or Fury of the Wind. I can't make up my mind!! We have toured all the local ranches looking @ our options & it amazes me the horsepower that is in this area. This is truly horse country!! One thing for certain if "Southern Cartel" was alive it would be him, hands down. But he was sadly lost in a barn fire a yr or so back.
We will see everyone @ the upcoming local jackpots, I have a nice string to haul incl. Margarite Ville 4 yo, Sure Down Dash 4 yo, Sparks N Flames 4 yo, VF Birds N Bugs 5 yo, & Lost Her Marbles (now shown by Michelle Noterman). "Margarite Ville" is working rock solid & is ready to continue on with someone that wanted a young horse to go on with. She is 1/2 second off @ the tough futurities & places everywhere we go in the 1D @ the jackpots. She is SOLID & a push style horse. My plans are to haul her to some local rodeos this summer if I keep her. She is that good minded & that easy. She is alot of fun. When this mare makes a tough rodeo horse I am going to get the joys of saying "I told you so!!". Margarite's breeding speaks of horses with a prosperous future in Pro Rodeo & she is coming along just the way most rodeo horses do. CONSISTENT.
At the end of the month we are off to Memphis for the Good Times Futurity!! Then this rig will be camped @ home until the BBR Finals & Old Fort Days Futurity. "No bees, no honey, no work, no money" Adios, Kendal Owen
JAN BLOG: This mo I feel like I am ahead of the game as I am writing this only 6 days late!! Nonetheless I am still in futurity mode here. To say I was thrilled by my OKC performance would be lieing. BUT with that said I will say that was the toughest OKC I have ever seen!! A juvenile horse won the 1st go with a 15.3 (to put that in perspective that was the fastest time ran @ the OKC Shootout out of 2000 runs this yr). They also ran a few 15.1's (ONE 15.1 was run last year & that was an arena record out of prob. 2500 runs)!! That's not tough, that's insane!! The "Margarite Ville" I trained on all year didn't show up but I somehow managed to pull off a $5000 check in the Superstakes. My two superstakes outings have earned $28,000 so I guess I am still in the game for 2010. "VF A Live Design" hit barrels 1st go of the Juvenile & after a minor tune up he came back for a 3rd place check in the 2nd go. The one horse I was most pleased with @ OKC would have been "Corona Cartella". She cruised through a second off & then 8 tenths off, remember her name in a yr or 2 as she will be a force to be reckoned with as she grows more confident with age. She sold to the new World Champion Luke Branquino's wife Lindsey, I wish them nothing but the best with her as she was my favorite horse to train for the year. When I say I adored that filly, "I ADORED THAT FILLY!!"
Corona Cartella Since OKC, I have been running "Margarite Ville" trying to figure her out, we snuck off to the WPRA Futurity @ Ardmore, Okla. where she hit barrels to win 3rd in the 1st go, 2nd in the 2nd go & 2nd in the AVG. COULDA WOULDA SHOULDA!!! Foooey!! That little futurity was like attending a gun fight. Sharin Hall won the 1st go with a 15.0 (a 14.9 was the fastest time ran @ the Bar Nothin Fall Futurity for 4 yo's in Oct this past yr, not to mention the fastest time of the event). The 3 yo's in Dec. were outclocking the open horses!! Did I mention that is CRAZY tough!! I then went on to the AQHA Holiday Circuit in Tulsa Okla. teh next weekend for one go. Again I hit a barrel to place 4th on Margarite in the Jr Barrels in another very tough class. The horse that won the Jr Barrels happen to win the Shootout 1D this year @ OKC. Margarite was 4 tenths off & slipped & caught a barrel. Needless to say I didn't go back. The ground was horrendous & I am not one to gripe about ground!! But any trainer knows, you can't shatter a 4 yo's confidence on bad ground we have enough to deal with keeping a colt together. I have come to the conclusion horses are very humbling, people asked me all year what I had for 2009. And I would say with enthusiasm "The best colt I have ever trained!!" Was I bragging?.. Heck no!! I believed it!! And now I feel like I am having to fight to prove it but the good news is it is only Jan. & she is in the LG Pro Classic & the Good Times 100K race. Not to mention Ft. Smith but I plan on her bringing her "A - Game" long before Ft Smith. I have always been a short tem goal person never the one that could train a dressage horse or something that took years. That is definately not for me, I need to see the end in sight & winning something is what motivates me. Winning is that positive reinforcement that keeps the fire burning here @ Owen Barrel Horses. Something new for Owen Barrel Horses in 2009 is I have a race filly in training. I have come to the conclusion running one in a straight line has got to be easier than 3 turns & if not it will at least be a new adventure. I galloped race horses for 5 years so I do know a little about the training process. I happened to purchase a "Dashin Is Easy" yearling filly a little while back & after some research it appears she has some pretty good breeding on the bottom side as well. Her grandsire ran out $595,000. She has some good blacktype top & bottom so we will see. I believe in karma & things happening for a reason, such as the "Dashin Is Easy" filly if not kept trimmed up she will forge so bad that she tears up the backs of her front feet. So that means stride & that means she is a runner... Margarite is so close she shows me all the ability is there but it isn't quite right enough to bark with the big dogs just yet so that is patience & the perserverence will be all worth it in the end. Karma is a good thing!! "A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials."
Kendal Owen
DEC BLOG: If this month had a headline it would read "Futurities, Futurities, Futurities". What we have worked for all year is finally here. As I write this I just got back in from the "Champion of Champions" in Memphis, Tn. on Sat. night. Louis Fincher smoked the field in the 100K Race. I was thrilled for him! He was the trainer of one of my all time favorites "Red Headed Jonesy". My colt for Danny Ray slipped & caught the second barrel but he worked good & I think he will make a top 10 colt in the Juvenile @ OKC this week. I went to the barrel race on Sunday & won it on Marbles, my other open horse slipped or he would have been right with her. My Superstakes "Margarite Ville" exhibitioned like a pro, she is sound & healthy & feels right on. That is very exciting going into OKC this week & of course for Friday night. I still haven't decided if I like the format of the Juvenile running before the Superstakes. But we will see, my filly can handle quite a bit of pressure but regardless 3 runs is alot especially when the last is the most important run. I have been watching a little NFR of course & it looks like those horses are running faster then the speed of light & I haven't seen alot of slips so that is good. We've seen that arena ruin many greats. Back to the futurity mindset, you hear people talk about the pressure of the futurities on these young horses & how they don't last but the funny thing is I watched TWO BFA World Futurity Champions running there last night. So winning futurity horses do & can go on!! Michelle is healing up real good, she stepped on two head last Sat. & ran Go B Boss in the 1D the other top 2D & that is without making a run in 7 wks!! That is impressive!!! Personally, if I don't make a run in just 7 days I already think I have lost my timing. I NEVER go that long without speed work because timing is EVERYTHING as a barrel horse jockey. Off to the OKC World Barrel Futurity Championships, see you there!!! "One day your life will flash before your eyes, make sure it's worth watching."
Kendal Owen
NOV BLOG: While sept. lacked enough excitement that it was completely skipped so far November has made up for it. First & foremost, Michelle that helps me here, totaled my car & she is out of commission for a few weeks but survived way better than my car. I was run over by a 2 yo, (now I know how an NFL linebacker feels) & yet another person got bucked off starting a colt for me. 3 people black & blue all in one mo. Now hows that for excitement?.. Off the excitement issue & on to the horses... In my program it is time to start breezing the more laid back colts down the track. I have been borrowing "Verle Bonner" a reknown racehorse trainer's racetrack to let these colts learn how to run. "Margarite Ville" my Superstakes candidate is absolutely finding herself @ the track & the barrel pen, she is confidant & excited when I haul her. She is wanting to do her job & starting to peak. I couldn't have scripted a better time frame, now we need some good old fashioned luck. Knowing myself, I will be pretty restless for the 2 weeks going into the Superstakes. Once I pull into OKC there will be a strange calm that comes over me & that is due to KNOWING I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING I COULD DO BEFORE THIS RACE. I have done my homework on this filly, she is the best broke, she has been hauled & she knows her job. I do not believe in "a wing & a prayer" type training, I would rather refer to is as "rhyme & reason" training which truly it should be more spelled like W-O-R-K. "I mean, who wouldn't want to pull on the bridle reins & something happen in a correct fashion?... Uhh, not this cowgirl." Anyhow, I did my home work & while everyone else was off running barrels this summer we were here riding these colts. Alot of colts!! Going into OKC, I have Margarite Ville in the Superstakes & Juvenile, Corona Cartella in the Juvenile, Alive Design for Victory Farms in the Juvenile, Lost Her Marbles in the Sweepstakes, & Dash For Goldseeker is a scratch in the Futurity due to horseshoeing catastrophe 101. One of my former great horses is back in the barn to be sold. "Go B Boss" I can't believe he is now 14 yo. How time flys. I bought him as a 5 yo & won almost everything I entered with him. He is very special to me for certain. He is small in stature but large in heart, I couldn't imagine putting a small youth on him that could really ride. He could be deadly in the arena. On to my personal life... I have recently discovered myspace (whether that be good or bad) but it has been fun for me to do a website page with a more personal flare to it. I have been going strong in the horse business with my own business for 8 years now & my family was in the business so there are times I think I could be burning out. But for me great horses keep you in it. I think I am quite certain I will never stop looking for that great horse so "skidrow" never really lasts here @ Owen Barrel Horses. And after all the near tradgedies this mo. a person might learn to be more grateful then when they started their day. "Inner Peace creates outer joy". Thanks for tuning in!! Kendal Owen
3 yo "Margarite Ville"
OCT. BLOG: The latest goes as such, as you can see I skipped Sept all together but nothing was really missed whether that be good or bad. We have been working a ton of horses in preparation for the Futurity & Superstakes in OKC. I named "Margarite Ville" as my mount for the Superstakes although it was incredibly difficult as "Corona Cartella" was a standout as well. To be honest, my horses started to back off a little & I was starting to wonder if I had what it takes to train a top notch barrel horse again but then I found out my issue. (horseshoer). Now that has been addressed they are starting to really clock again & things are once again looking up. I dont think people realize what it takes to take a young horse to the top, every I needs to be dotted & every T needs to be crossed. Vet, shoers, trainers, chiropractors & such. Its crazy & expensive but if we weren't all so passionate about it we would quit!! I am passionate about it but it is also my business & I try to run it as such. What is the saying?... "Emotions do not belong in business". I agree with that but we are also talking about a living & breathing animal & that makes it especially hard when you sell them. The great horse Sonny came back in the barn to sell this mo. He was the horse I tipped a barrel on to win the Sweepstakes 1D OKC World Ch. Futurity title on. That horse ran a pair of 15.4's which we all know is very tough to do there. He is a nice horse & I am excited to put some runs on him & find him the right place to go. Dash For Goldseeker has came back real easy but struggled with consistancy due to the shoer, he took the hardest hit. He is some kind of talented & when he is feeling good he is a superstar, he just clocks easily & I like those kind. Thanks for tuning in, Kendal
AUG. BLOG: We haven't been hauling much this mo. I thought the colts were where they should be @ so we stayed @ home for a few weeks. Michelle got kicked by a 2 yo so she was off for a few days even better reason to stay close to the ranch. That left me to care for the 22 head of horses standing here. NO, luckily they are not all in training only 14 of those are. I read this in the latest Speedhorse Mag., yes I read EVERYTHING I can get my hands on pretty much & I love this quote!! "It is nice to stand on hilltops, the view is clearer from there. But those who stand on hilltops are plainly viewed by everyone else." My interpretation is this; just because you are on the top of your game not everyone will view it as you do, someone somewhere will find fault. I also think sometimes something gives in one area in order to achieve in another. I used to run barrels to run barrels but now a set of barrels contains a set of goals which contains a timeline, which contains an entry deadline, welllll you get the picture. I want to say this I love to train barrel horses for myself & others. I want my clients to win as bad as I want to win & I am not ashamed to say I want it BADDD!! My horses & my clients are a reflection of me that I do take to heart. Today w/ the stakes races in the futurities we suddenly have a means to make serious money in our futurity industry & that fuels me to train horses. The horses I have trained on my site & offered for sale I have spent time with, I hand picked them to put into my program. I know they are good enough to make barrel horses & while they may not make the ultimate horse, a "Superstakes" futurity horse these horses give someone the opportunity to ride & own a professionally trained barrel horse. I want everyone to know I believe in my barrelhorses & that is why I normally pay my own entry fees & ride my own horses. I know they are good horses because I've done the homework on them. I would never personally pick a horse to own that is sub par. NEVER!! I pick a horse that is quality & a horse that I would want to ride & train. I ride them everyday I better like them before I ever get started because I have a plenty to ride nowadays!! That was just a little note into the training side of my program. Where I live is like a performance horse meca. I see the professional horsemans training, commanding top dollar for their services & their stock. It is very inspiring & I would like to see that in our event. Barrel Horses shouldn't be trained on a whim or by accident they should be trained through knowledge. Knowledge is Power!! Thanks for tuning in, Kendal
JULY BLOG: Okay I am going to try something new here. I want to keep everyone posted with what is going on @ the ranch. Michelle & I are currently training 8-3 yo's for next years futurities & I am real excited about my own personal line up as well. My fillies are about a second off right now & working nice solid patterns. Exactly where they should be & maybe just a stitch ahead. We have been hauling them alot since there are so many small jackpots going on in this area. I just love my location here it is truly ideal for training futurity horses. I realize we haven't been seen around @ the larger jackpots & that is due to not having any open horses in right now. Ever once in awhile Sparky will darken the door for a quick tune up but that is it for open horses. I built a new outdoor arena here & we are painting & hanging cedar stays in it. It has been alot of work but it looks fantastic!! My entrance is new as seen on the home page & I have built new turnouts as well. Lots of improvements & lots of work!! "Dash for Goldseeker" is back & I am starting to leg him back up. Look for him to return to competition late August or Sept. I am aiming for the WPRA Futurity @ Tulsa & Jud Little's Futurity this fall. Can't wait to run him again. He had high suspensory soreness in the front & I couldn't get rid of while he was in training so I turned him out for 5 mos. Time off never hurts any of these colts. Oh! With all this time spent @ home we are starting to break 2 yo's as well. I think the head count for them is up to 6-8 colts. That is good because normally I am scrambling to find 3 yo's come Jan. & I am hoping I will not have to do that next year & actually might be ahead of the game. Although this year I feel like I am more ready then ever for December to roll around. Now the key is keeping it all together on these babies. And that is the latest with Kendal Owen & Owen Barrel Horses!! Thanks for tuning in & feel free to email me with any training questions or barrel racing question syou might have!! Take care!! kendal_owen@hotmail.com
Stallion shopping in the Purcell, Okla area on a beautiful March day leads us to these great horses. Now this is what I call "horsepower"!!
"Wave Carver"
"Ivory james"
April 2008 Issue of the Barrel Horse News Kendal Owen & the Superhorse "Sparky"
Kendal Owen runs Slys Gold to the fastest time of the Futurity @ Ada Okla. Oct. 2006
"Investing In Your Horses Future" Video w/ Kendal Owen & Winningruns.com
Kendal & one of her first barrel racing phenoms "Rosie"
NFR/Vegas 2007
Magic Master Bug Shown by Kendal Owen
First Bidder In the dust!! Trained by Kendal Owen
Off to the barrel race...
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