16 RICHARD WINTERS A lifelong endeavor
Excerpts from our Horsetrader Media interview archive with Richard Winters
RICHARD: “I’ve had the privilege the last 40-some odd years to make my living in the horse business. I’m just that kid who grew up loving horses. I wanted to be a cowboy or a horseman—if I even knew what that meant. In all reality, if I had some job in town, I would pay to do this on the weekends. I didn’t really want to be an astronaut, or a policeman, or a fireman—I just love horses. Now I am recognizing that there’s just so
much to horsemanship. It’s a lifelong endeav- or that you never stop in this thing. I mean, I got more questions about this horsemanship thing now than I’ve ever had in my life. That’s why on the side of our trailer, it says ‘Enjoy the Journey’, because I’ve kind of realized I’m never going to get to the destination. You never really arrive and say ‘OK, I’ve got it all figured out.’ Horses are continuing to teach us, and I
strive as much as I can to get out and ride with people that are beter than me. You know, when I go and do an expo or a clinic, people come and they pat me on the back and say ‘wow, you’re amazing—that was real- ly cool!’ But when I lay my head on my pillow at night, I realize my shortcomings. I know there is so much more to learn, and I need to surround myself with those horsemen and horsewomen who are beter and who are at a place where I am trying to get. That chal- lenges me. That motivates me—to get just a litle bit beter. Not to be satisfied or rest on my past laurels, or some buckle that I might have won five years ago. But geting out there and just continuing to play with my horse, but work on myself. I really enjoy the tradition of the reined
cow horses and the Californio, vaquero-style of horsemanship. I go out and I show my horses, and when you go show horses, they don’t care if you do clinics, they don’t care if you have DVDs. You go out there and it’s really a benchmark for me to know if I am making some progress. Or, am I still stuck
right here?
HT: I know from my own personal devel- opment, the satisfaction of watching my children move up and through the leads. One of my favorite moments was when my daugh- ter came out the exit gate of Earl Warren Showgrounds with her trophy, her ribbon on her horse, with a smile from ear-to-ear, knowing that she did it—she finally got both leads! And then she grew up as a young woman and was a beter rider than me! How did that happen?!
RICHARD: I know exactly how it happened because it happened to me as well. Many of your listeners will know because they have followed Richard and Sarah Winters, my daughter. We were at all these expos and clinics, teaching together, riding together. She’s always been passionate about horses. She got to a level where, really, she is as good
as me. And in all honesty, she is at a level now where she is beter than me. I go and take lessons from my daughter—literally. Well, No. 1, she’s someone I can afford. She’s not always very patient with me, but she’s just goten so good. She married a reined great cow horse trainer (Chris Dawson). They are very much in love. They get along so great. So, to see where they’ve at—they are half my age and twice as good as me. It is inspiring. You know, if she was 30 years old living in my basement eating out of my refrig- erator, that wouldn’t be very inspiring. But to see her come along and excel as she has is a prety cool deal.
HT: It’s a wonderful feeling to know that what you’ve created, and that your daughter or son, go on to become beter than you. That’s a great feeling.
RICHARD: What do they call that in animal
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
