JR and Ann Taylor

Being a horse trainer is not like living a normal life as the rest of the world knows it. There are no sick days, holidays, time off for family emergencies or vacations. We work from daylight to dark, or most times, from can to can’t. We’ve been to horse shows, sales and cuttings on Christmas Day, New Year’s, Easter, 4th of July, and everything in between. We’ve shown outside when it was 110° in the shade, four inch floods in thirty minutes time or when it was so cold and snowing, our horses had icicles in their manes and nostrils.

Ann grew up in Ponder, Texas, a small town just outside of Denton. Her identical twin sister, Jan, still lives there. When Ann and Jan were just over a year old, their parents divorced. Their mother’s parents, Charlie and Ruth Ashcraft, with nine children of their own, took them in. They legally adopted them when they were 16 years old. After graduating high school, Ann moved to Fort Worth and attended cosmetology school.

J. R. and his brother grew up in Mesquite, Texas. Where he began his career as a horse trainer. In the cutting horse world, J.R. earned a reputation as one of the best trainers to break colts and start them on cattle.

J.R. and Jerry Wells, Jack Benson, Johnny Lake, Gary Colburn, Leon Bard, Mike Bean, and Keith Barnett just to name a few, all grew up within a few miles of each other. They all hauled to the AQHA shows together. Keith Barnett and J.R. are still life long friends today. He credits Keith’s father for the techniques he still uses today in training reining horses.

Judy B. owned by Rex Bryant of Poolville, Texas was J.R.’s first consistent winner. He made the Appaloosa mare an ApHC Reining Champion her first year out, She won the Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston Stock Shows. She was a Reining Texas State Champion several times and won the Appaloosa Sweepstakes Reining twice. During this time J.R. and Ann met at Fort Worth, started dating and were married two years later.

Keith and J.R. went to work for Jim Cheek’s Rolling Acres, at Mesquite, TX. In their spare time they would hang out at G.B. Howell’s where Matlock Rose was training. Working for Leroy Ashcraft at Cheek’s, J.R. had an opportunity to show and train many AQHA Honor Roll, NCHA Top Ten and AQHA Champions including King Wimp and Brave Cadet who was tied during the year for High Point J.R. Cutting with Lee’s Page Boy until he won the Texas State Fair.

While at Rolling Acres, J.R. trained and showed numerous horses for Cheek and for the public. Some of them that had an impact on the breed include Hollywood Buck, ROM Cutting and sired earners of 297 AQHA points and NCHA monies; Miss Holly Palo, NCHA money earner, dam of Doc Hollywood, etc. He broke and started Cee Miss Holly for Ray “Dobbie“ Hubbard, Jr. She won 6th in the NCHA Futurity. Another filly J. R. started for the 6666 was Cee Bars Joan. Matlock Rose wound up winning the NCHA Futurity on her.

He also trained her full sister Cee Holly Joanie for the NCHA Futurity. J.R. credits her as being the quickest, hardest spinning, horse he’s ever ridden. The 6666’s owned the great mare at the time and didn’t think J.R. had the experience to show at the prestigious futurity as he was just out of high school.

The 6666’s also hired J.R. to help Ronnie Sharpe from Granger, Indiana get Old Hollywood, their replacement sire for Hollywood Gold, ready for the NCHA Futurity. J.R. had already accumulated points on him in reining at two AQHA shows. At the futurity Leroy placed 4th on Joanie, and Sharpe was 5th place on Old Hollywood.

Shawn, their only daughter was born while they lived at Rolling Acres. When she was six weeks old the Taylor’s moved to Sweetwater, Texas where J.R. trained and showed reining and cutting horses for Louis Brooks.

Brooks was a “real” cowboy. He won the All-Around Champion Cowboy in 1942 and 1943 in what is now known as the PRCA. He started the “fanning motion” of spurring the horse at the point of the shoulders in rhythm while it bucks around the arena to earn extra points. Brooks was the first cowboy to ride a saddle without a horn (muley saddle) in Saddle Bronc competition. His famed muley saddle, shiny belt buckle and other memorabilia are displayed at the Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Louis Brooks had many funny, but true observations about life. One of his most popular was, “Good horses make good trainers”.

Brooks’ plan was to win NCHA Horse Of The Year with Heleo. After only two weeks at Brook‘s Ranches, J.R. started showing Heleo in NCHA Open Cutting. Their first outing was to the Sand Hills Odessa, Texas Stock Show. Next, they went to the Stock Show at Amarillo, Texas. Their next show was the prestigious Kramer’s Circle K AQHA show at Dallas, Texas. Heleo won 1st at Odessa and Amarillo. At Dallas, Heleo tied for 1st with Matlock Rose and Stardust Desire in the Open NCHA class. They had a work-off. Stardust Desire won the work-off and Heleo placed 2nd. Stardust Desire went on to win NCHA Top Ten Horse Of The Year with Rose aboard that year. After a short show career of only three shows, Heleo developed a jack in his hock, and was retired to stud and never ridden again.

J.R. broke, trained and showed several horses for Brooks. That year he took Clearwater, a son of Sweetwater Leo, to 27 consecutive 1st place wins in AQHA Reining. That Fall when they competed at the Texas State Fair at Dallas, Texas, Shorty Russell and Pokey’s Blonde had been winning 2nd behind the pair all Summer. There at the fair, Pokey’s Blonde won 1st and Clearwater was 2nd with only one half point separating them. Pokey’s Blonde went on to win AQHA Honor Roll Reining the next year. Brooks also owned Vandal, AQHA Honor Roll Junior Cutting at the age of three, Heleo and Sweetwater Leo, full brothers that were two of the last sons of Leo.

J.R. started the first foal crop from Vandal consisting of 10 colts. Vancy was the most notable. She won AQHA Honor Roll Junior Cutting and made AQHA Champion.

Another outstanding foal of Vandal’s was Valid. At the age of three he won many Grand and Reserve Halter Championships and was ROM in Reining and Cutting. His most memorable win was at the Texas Cowboy’s Reunion at Stamford, Texas where he was Grand Champion Gelding, 1st Junior Cutting and All-Around Champion.

Out in West Texas that show is compared to what is now The Quarter Horse Congress. All of the ranches sent their top hands to compete. “Biggum” Bradley from the 6666 also known as the first “Marlboro Man” was favored to win. Here comes this “up start kid” from Brooks Ranches who overcame them all. At the next horse show, Brooks was bragging on J. R. being his top hand. Dee Burke, World Champion PRCA Roper, AQHA judge and father of Barry Burks, also PRCA Champion Roper, overheard this. He walked up to Brooks and said, “He’s not just a top hand, he’s a Cowboy.”

During his two year stay at Brooks Ranches, J.R. made Brooks Ranches the AQHA Leading Breeder, AQHA Most Points Earned, AQHA Most ROM’s, AQHA Honor Roll Earners in Senior Reining, Junior Cutting and more.

J.R. showed Dude Lit, Skipper’s Smoke, Tobiano Pam and Hollywood Return for the legendary Bevins Ranch at Channing, Texas. Bevins bought Hollywood Return, the last foal by Hollywood Gold, at the colt branding at the 6666 Ranch. His dam was Joanie James, the granddam of Cee Holly Joanie and Cee Bars Joan. J.R. trained him while at Leroy’s. He showed him at the NCHA Futurity where he missed the finals by one half point. Hollywood Return went on to have several major wins including the AQHA Junior Cutting at the Golden Spread Fair at Amarillo, Texas. Later, Bevins sold Hollywood Return. He went to Australia, where he stayed until he was 22 years old. At that time, he was brought back to the USA by King Ranch.

Leroy brought Waddy Wolf to Brooks Ranches to get ready for the NCHA Futurity. She won Reserve Champion at the futurity. Leroy convinced J. R to come back to work for him. They alternated showing Waddy Wolf and won AQHA Honor Roll Junior Cutting along with a Superior in Western Pleasure with the assistance of her co-owner. The second time at Leroy’s, J.R. and Leroy combined their talents to make several AQHA Honor Roll, ROM and NCHA Top Ten horses.

After three years at Leroy’s, Taylor’s decided to venture out on their own. They moved to Blossom, Texas, five miles East of Paris, where they started Taylor Quality Horses. They train, show and condition horses for the public. They show and buy and sell their own horses, too. Their primary expertise is in Cutting, Reining, Western Pleasure and Halter.

Taylor’s daughter, Shawn began winning at horse shows when she was four years old. At five, besides showing in judged events, she would also help hold herd and turn back at the “real” cutting shows for the adult exhibitors. Her first big win was while riding a two year old at the District V 4-H qualifying show. Competing agains 70 exhibitors she won the reining and qualified to go to the Texas State show. Shawn was only nine years old. Taylor’s didn’t think it would be fair to her to have to compete on a two year old horse against exhibitors who were up to eighteen years old with older, more accomplished horses. They didn’t go to “State” that year, but she qualified and competed successfully at “State” every year after that until she was eighteen. Every year she had a different horse and showed in the Two Year Old Western Pleasure Futurities every year. She consistently placed in the top ten against 100 + exhibitors. Her colt, “Cash”, won the Yearling Gelding Futurity, then came back to win Reserve Champion as a two year old in the Western Pleasure Futurity.

She now lives at Santa Barbara, California where she has earned a BA degree in Geography at University of California at Santa Barbara. Her studies included programming GIS systems. She works for Albertson’s as Trainer for Central California and Operational Manager.

Streak It, or “Lindy” as she is known at home has been a big time winner for Ann. She is a daughter of Skip A Lindy Streak. She showed Lindy successfully in the ABRA where the pair won Honor Roll Western Pleasure, ABRA Open Champion, ABRA Amateur Champion and 17 ROM.s. She was shown in several classes from Halter, Dun Factor, most western judged classes and English. Lindy is a part of our family. She is retired now. She was two years old when we bought her. She will be twenty-five this year.

Ann continues to show her geldings, Zippo Zillion and The Coolest Touch at the local club shows. She bought Zippo at the Triangle Sale when he was a yearling. Ann broke him to ride and trained him to be a consistent winner in eleven events including Western and English classes. She showed him at the local halter and lounge line futurities, and at the snaffle bit futurities at two and three years old where he was a consistent winner. He has won a few reining when the all around title was on the line. J. R. took Zippo to a Reserve Champion win at the Labor Day OPEA Snaffle Bit Futurity at Tulsa, Oklahoma as a two year old. He will be fourteen this year. Ann has started to train him in cutting. He has lots of style and heart. Hopefully, she will get to show him in some cutting‘s this spring.

Her latest love is The Coolest Touch, “Cool”. She bought him at the Triangle Sale in August, 2009. She showed him in the halter and lounge line futurities that year. This year, as a two year old, she broke him and showed him in the local two year old snaffle bit futurities and one trail futurity. He won several first place awards including belt buckles and money.

The Taylor’s attended the first Triangle Sale held in Oklahoma City, but didn’t consign horses to it. Triangle Sale then moved to the Heart Of Oklahoma Expo Center at Shawnee, Oklahoma where it remains today. That’s when Taylor’s started participating. They put three horses in the next sale. They have been faithful customers ever since, both buying and selling horses there. They have missed only a hand full of sale’s since the inaugural sale at Shawnee.

The Taylor’s have made many life-long friends there from spectators to Triangle Sales Company employees. They have sold several horses there who have gone on to make champions and winners in breed shows, rodeo’s, and their owner’s hearts.

J. R. and Ann have known Cindy Bowling, owner of Triangle Sales Company even before she started conducting horse sales thirty two years ago. Triangle is recognized to be the best horse sale of it’s kind in the nation, and possibly, the world. This is a testament to the staff’s hard work and dedication to provide a great environment to both buyers and sellers. Being associated with the staff at Triangle is like being a part of one big family.

The Taylors have celebrated their birthday’s and wedding anniversaries at the Triangle Sales. Several times J.R. has celebrated his birthday at the June sale along with Percy Hunter and Cletus Hulling, long time sale participants. They have even had their own birthday cake provided by the Triangle Sale Co.. Now, that’s what I call real customer service.

There has been many changes and up’s and down’s in the horse business just like other businesses, but J.R. and Ann believe that the Triangle Sale holds steady and is a strong outlet for good horses. They strive to offer the best quality available.

Ann is a “self taught” artist. She paints primarily in oils, usually with a Western style motif. She makes cartoons and funny quotes to decorate their horses stalls. She is proud to have had Triangle Sales catalog covers displaying some of her works. She makes videos for the sales to show off their horse’s abilities, and rides them at the sale. Ann raises AKC registered Shetland Sheepdogs. She makes her own horse show clothes and chaps, and also makes jewelry and works on the computer. Her little dogs all line up around her chair to help “compute”. She call’s them, “Computer Nerds”. Sometimes she brings a couple of them to the Triangle Sale to show them off.

J.R. got tired of the horse show grind. He enjoys working on his sale projects. He spends his time working with them and advancing their training to attract potential buyer’s.

They incorporated Taylor Quality Saddles at the trade show of the January 2010 Triangle Sale. As the name implies, their saddles are handmade with the highest quality Herman Oak leather and exceptional detail in tooling and workmanship. They are built to last.

J.R. has ridden some of the best horses in the business. He has had the opportunity to work with such notable trainers as Matlock Rose, Buster Welch, Jim Lee, Keith Barnett, Speedy Cockrell, Jerry Wells, Jack Benson, and of course, Leroy Ashcraft.

In the January 2010 issue of The Quarter Horse Weekly magazine J.R. is recognized as being a “real horseman” along with these mentioned and a few others. He is truly honored.

If you are fortunate enough to attend the Triangle Sale, you will probably see J.R. and Ann there. Stop by and say, “Hi”. They will be glad to see you.