holding its own...how one farm excels When you have some-
By Ingrid Edisen
thing of value, the value tends to “stick.” Despite the recession, Andalusians of Texas has dis- covered ways to make it through the tough times. Owned by Ronnie
R
and Carol Marroquin, and lo- cated in Belton, the 80-acre farm has made its mark in Texas over the last ten years breeding Pure Spanish horses also known as Andalusians. Of course the horse business has been impacted by the general U. S. economic malaise, but head trainer Deirdre Malburg said prospective buyers are still coming regularly to view and purchase their quality stock. Here’s some of the
savvy things they have done. First of all, Carol Marroquin comes from a long and exten-
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sive horse background. She switched over to Andalusians after her husband, Ronnie, admired the black Andalusian stallion ridden by actor Anto- nio Banderas in The Mask of Zorro ten years ago. Their first Andalusian was from a repu- table Texas breeder. It was a pregnant mare who bore their first foundation stallion, Ale- jandro, and they continued from there. Their goal is to maintain three stallions--a grey (Mojito), a black (Luxorio), and a bay (Alejandro) which they have achieved already. Ten in-house brood mares is also part of the overall plan. “We don’t want to go much over that because you cannot give the mares enough attention,” Carol explained. Ronnie went on to
he and the board offered was an early bird, super saver entry fee giving competitors a way to enter as many classes as they wanted to for one discounted package price. Then, any horse that entered qualify- ing classes automati- cally was entered into the championship classes as well. Such generous programs boosted excite- ment about the show and increased entries. The show also promoted free public attendance for the night of the gala fes- tivities. The result? Ft. Worth’s J. R. Watt Arena was packed! Combining
right, people will come,” Carol explained.
serve as Chair of the IALHA (International Andalusian & Lusitano Horse Association) National Championship Show last year and used his busi- ness acumen to bump up the attendance. Specifically, what
in 1985 when Charlie & Cheryl Bierschwale thought Kerrville needed a modern, up to date, feed, supply, and trailer store. So with 20 years of teaching and a lifetime of ranching under his belt, Charlie began small, then added land, buildings and inven- tory through the years, selling over 8,000 trailers in the Hill Country and Texas, including many out of state. In 2004 after teach-
ing for 32 years Cheryl joined Charlie and Chuck at Back 40 taking over book keeping and payroll. Back 40 is a true family business. In 2005 Back 40 added CM Truck Beds and business really took off: trailer parts & service became a big part of the business and bumpers,
and function go hand in hand, Carol Marroquin is respectful that conformation of a pure- bred must also allow for good performance so her breeding program aims for horses that are balanced and athletic. The farm regularly enters not only breed shows which helps to maintain the integrity of the breed but performance competitions, too. The Andalusian breed shows offer specialty classes for Pure Spanish Horses that are judged under a Spanish judge. Such classes include a functionality test for five year olds which demonstrate the usability of the animals under saddle. The Marroquins also
realized they needed help in training and maintaining their
grill guards, & tool boxes and other truck accessories that were stocked & installed.
Believing that form
animals so they employ farm manager Chilo Cruz plus train- ing assistant Savannah Lester who helps Deirdre. Deirdre’s background
modifications extra. Building pictured is not priced in ad. Price subject to change without notice.
good business and marketing sense benefited the organization and the show. “If you do a show
is largely in dressage as she apprenticed under the Master Trainer, Hans Biss, and her mother was a dressage rider, too. In the few years Deirdre has shown for Andalusians of Texas, she has succeeded in receiving national championship awards each year – 2007 - 2 National Championships, 2008 - 1 Re- serve Championship, 2009 - 3 National Championships and a Reserve Championship – at the IALHA National Championship Shows.
ity is key to marketing, the farm also offers all levels of boarding and clinics regularly on site which increases public knowl- edge about the farm. Deirdre also travels to participate in or give her own clinics. In the last two years she exhibited Alejan- dro, owned by the Marroquins, in the large Houston Dressage Symposium; then the very next year, she was invited to serve as a demo rider at the United States Dressage Symposium’s clinic with Jan Brink. There she rode Sabio GF who is owned by Jane Meyer.
contact Carol Marroquin at 254-644-6413 or via e-mail at
carol@andalusiansoftexas.com. You can also visit their website –
www.andalusiansoftexas.com. For information regarding les- sons or training, contact Deir- dre Malburg at 254-715-4081 or visit
www.deirdredressage. com.
back 40 celebrated 25th anniversary Back 40 Supply began
in Ingram recognized the pos- sibilities of having 2 feed stores on opposite sides of town and soon Back 40 was out of the feed business.
much (& Charlie got older) that in 2007, The Bierschwales decided to sell the feed store part of the store and concentrate on trailers, truck beds, parts and accessories. Steve & Mary Beth Bauer of Double L Feed
Business grew so
has continued to grow & flour- ish for the Bierschwales, who recently celebrating their 25th Anniversary. In order to show their appreciation for 25 won- derful years in the Hill Country, Back 40 gave back to area customers with 25% discounts on 25 selected trailers and truck beds. The special prices were available only at Back 40 Trail- ers, Kerrville, Texas through August 21 and the event was a huge success. A special Thank You from Charlie & Cheryl for making their dreams come true.
The trailer business For more information Realizing that visibil-
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www.HorseGazette.com Page 7
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