ShowBiz Feature Barbara Ellison and Wild Turkey Farms are Creating Future Champions
B
Turkey Farm, Wilsonville, Oregon, a top-notch breeding fa- cility a decade in the making. Following the guidance of
her parents, one that measures true enthusiasm as opposed to a fleeting fancy in an activity, she helped fund her own rid- ing. She combined her pas- sion for horses with earning money during her summers in Oregon - leading trail rides on the beach for up to twelve hours a day, seven days a week. Later, as a working student at a horse facility, always working hard, and always thinking of the future.
The enthusiasm for horses was put on hold while Barbara attended Stanford, ultimately earning a degree with an English Literature major. Using that major in the business world, however, was problematic. The first job out of college was for a real estate investment trust, where she was involved with both the sales and finan- cial aspects of the business. At a subsequent job, she be- came the tenth employee at Relational Software, Inc., which later changed its name to Oracle Corporation. Rediscovering her passion for horses after marrying, and
College and Beyond
arbara Ellison has had a dream since she was a little girl. That dream was to someday own a horse farm. Sometimes dreams do come true, and this one did in the form of Wild
day. Over the years, she has ridden with many top trainers including Butch and Lu Thomas, Carleton Brooks, Mandy Porter, and now Soehnke Theymann. Some years after rid- ing with Butch and Lu, they sent her a video of a five year old stallion named LioCalyon. Impressed with his jumping form, Barbara purchased him immediately upon viewing the tape. After acquiring a couple of stallions and a number of brood- mares, she decided that her 11 acre Woodside, California farm was not sufficient for what was becoming a grow- ing horse operation. Labor of Love
LioCalyon
stunning. Following the model established by the famous Oregon WPA project of the 1930’s, the Timberline Lodge, she not only chose to use local builders and craftsmen, but utilized local materials and architecture to blend with the surrounding environment. Wild Turkey’s original stock of broodmares consisted
the eventual birth of her first child, she started riding with Jan Pearce, at first just once a week, then in short order, every
Photos by Barbara Ellison, Kimerlee Coryl & Keith Súileabháin 75
It took a decade of work, from the initial acquisition of land, through the design and building of the facilities, to become a fully-operational horse breeding farm and re- alize her dream facility, but the results are quite
of successful, but retired show horses, including Barbara’s horse, Summer, a two-time participant in the World Cup finals. Broodmares are now selected primarily for their conformation, with additional consideration given to their
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