The people of Buckner Valley Farm.
From Left to right: Rachelle (Dan and Crystal's daughter), Joanne and Mike (farm owners), Crystal, Peter and Dan (Mike's brother, wife and son), behind them is Chuck, the farms horse trainer, dog trainer and cattleman.
Joanne inherited the farm from her father just a few years ago, and to keep her father's memory alive she decided to keep it up and running. Mike and Joanne had known each other all through school until they both went off to collage, where Joanne majored in Business and Public Relations. Mike majored in Ranch Management and Sales, it seemed their destiny was to be fulfilled when they both came back to the little town they grew up in, they were married soon after.
Joanne trains the younger mares with Chuck's help and will be entering the Saddleseat classes, Cutting and Halter. Mike and Chuck deal with Halter showing the stallions and Dan rides with on cattle drives. Chuck also trains the farms show dogs. He has been with the family for many years and is a trusted employee.
"The Harrison's are a wonderful family to work for and work with." says Chuck, "I really don't feel the need to own my own animals because they let me train and show theirs like they were my own."
Mike's brother Dan stuck around their family's ranch while Mike was at collage and now rides for Buckner Valley. Mike, Dan and Chuck are the riders for all the cattle work in shows and on the farm. Dan's wife Crystal has joined the show circuit too and rides in all of the Saddleseat classes for her gaited horses and wants to try showing gaited mules in the future. Their son Peter is starting his riding career with Lead Line. Rachelle will be showing in Saddleseat along with her mother and Junior Owner/Handler Halter classes.
A statement from Joanne about the farm and it's future: "We strive to raise the most well rounded working cow horses and the best cattle that my father produced when he was alive. We will be selling off most of our other horses and focusing on Paints, Appaloosas, Saddlebreds, Plantation (or flat-shod) Tennessee Walkers and (TWH) gaited Mules." she says, "And one of my other interests is farm raised cervidae, like whitetail deer and other antlered game, we already have our first fawns on the ground from our two bucks."
Joanne inherited the farm from her father just a few years ago, and to keep her father's memory alive she decided to keep it up and running. Mike and Joanne had known each other all through school until they both went off to collage, where Joanne majored in Business and Public Relations. Mike majored in Ranch Management and Sales, it seemed their destiny was to be fulfilled when they both came back to the little town they grew up in, they were married soon after.
Joanne trains the younger mares with Chuck's help and will be entering the Saddleseat classes, Cutting and Halter. Mike and Chuck deal with Halter showing the stallions and Dan rides with on cattle drives. Chuck also trains the farms show dogs. He has been with the family for many years and is a trusted employee.
"The Harrison's are a wonderful family to work for and work with." says Chuck, "I really don't feel the need to own my own animals because they let me train and show theirs like they were my own."
Mike's brother Dan stuck around their family's ranch while Mike was at collage and now rides for Buckner Valley. Mike, Dan and Chuck are the riders for all the cattle work in shows and on the farm. Dan's wife Crystal has joined the show circuit too and rides in all of the Saddleseat classes for her gaited horses and wants to try showing gaited mules in the future. Their son Peter is starting his riding career with Lead Line. Rachelle will be showing in Saddleseat along with her mother and Junior Owner/Handler Halter classes.
A statement from Joanne about the farm and it's future: "We strive to raise the most well rounded working cow horses and the best cattle that my father produced when he was alive. We will be selling off most of our other horses and focusing on Paints, Appaloosas, Saddlebreds, Plantation (or flat-shod) Tennessee Walkers and (TWH) gaited Mules." she says, "And one of my other interests is farm raised cervidae, like whitetail deer and other antlered game, we already have our first fawns on the ground from our two bucks."
(Click on any picture to see it larger)
Here's Chuck, working with BVF Pushin The Big O, "Ollie".
Here he is grooming BVF Flashen My Britches, "Buddy".
Mike with the founding stallion of Buckner Valley Farm, OSS Buckner Valley's Moon Me, "Moon".
Moon has taken the photoshow ring by storm, a many time over champ and reserve champ for gender, color and breed and overall champion of show, he is doing us proud! We cant wait to see what LOUD colored Hinny's he puts on the ground!
Buddy is being groomed before his halter class.
As one horse is brought back to the show stalls, another gets ready to enter the ring. "Chuck, clean up in isle one please" Joanne chuckles.
"A well taken care of horse is a winning horse." Mike says.
After a couple of days of showing, clean up can be the hardest job.
Here is one of our newest arrivals, OSS Pepsi Poco Prints. We call him Poco. He's a great cattle horse and works well in the bull pen.
Here is Pepsi about to go out into the fields to look for stray cattle.
