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About Maverick
This is the story of Maverick and how I came to own this wonderful horse and how he has changed my life. His story starts as many do, being bred as a roping horse in the 7000-acre green pastures in the Arkansas River valley of Clarksville.
In the spring of 1999 when Maverick was born, he wasn’t unusual. His mother was an older palomino mare in the Hurley’s band of 80 broodmares. His sire, TJ, was one of the nice stallions that Bob Hurley turned out with 20 or so mares. Maverick was an average dun colt, not unlike many others that have been born on the ranch. TJ is known for throwing lots of colored foals. By weaning time, Maverick had grown into a nice built colt and the decision was made to put him in the “keeper” pasture, a pasture in the back of the ranch where the nicer colts are hidden away from buyers and lookers.
That where Bart Nichols first saw Maverick, tucked away in a back field. Bart had come to visit his rodeo friends; Bobby Hurley, 5 times World Champion Team Roper, and Scott Fogg, Bobby’s brother-in-law and steer roper. Bart was always looking for some coming two year old colts to break and sell. Bart had picked out the ones he wanted. As Scott was driving through the pastures, Bart asked about the ones in the far field. Scott said those colts weren’t for sale but they could look them over. Bart decided he wanted to add Maverick to the colts he was taking to Oklahoma. At the time Maverick wasn’t even branded. At the last minute, just before being loaded into the trailer, Maverick was branded with the Hurley Ranch “BH” brand on his left hip and a “9” on his shoulder for the year he was born.
In Guymon, Oklahoma, Bart started 22 colts that year. Maverick was one of many but even at that early age, he was starting to stand out of the crowd. Maverick was like a big golden retriever puppy. He wanted to please his rider, didn’t want to get into trouble, and would do whatever he could to just get back to eating. He would do his very best to do what was asked of him and be finished. He did have a bit of a snort in him, but it never amounted to anything. As one of the men told me, “Maverick just woke up with a smile on his face every day, and wanted to please”.
JUST A PICKUP HORSE
The fall of 2002 is when Billy Ward visited his friend, Bart. Bart had used Maverick as a pick up horse a few times as a long three year old. Billy Ward was always looking to buy a good horse and after talking it over with his wife Marlo, he bought Maverick from Bart.
Billy Ward and his family run a cow-calf operation in LaGrange, WY. Billy calves out 600 cows each spring and that’s where Maverick was put to work. Billy likes to keep his horses working all year long with ranch work in the winter and spring, and then pick up work at rodeos all summer into the fall. By working the horses on the ranch, Billy gets to know the horses and ropes on them. Even Billy’s boys, Dalton and Denton, will ride and rope on all the horses. It is well known that if you buy a horse from Billy Ward, that horse is BROKE to death! Maverick was still a stallion and never got treated special at Billy’s place. Maverick was turned out with Billy’s other geldings and some of them were pretty tough. Maverick learned his place in the herd real fast. He had a job to do and he liked his job.
When the time came to hit the summer rodeo circuit, Billy started taking Maverick on the road. Usually Billy takes 6 horses out for up to 4 weeks at a time, then time and schedules permitting, he will switch out those horses for 6 or 8 horses fresh ones. That way, none of his horses get tired or sour from being on the road too long. While on the road, Billy uses his horses to sort rodeo stock, pickup bronc riders and even ridden in the town parades. His horses see an awful lot, hear a lot and get exposed to more sights than the average horse sees in a lifetime. All this exposure made Maverick the confident, calm, bombproof horse he is today. By the end of the summer of 2003, four-year-old Maverick was a seasoned pickup horse. Billy and his family were busy working for Harry Vold Rodeo Company. The Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo was the next stop in Colorado Springs.
In April 2003, I had just gotten back from living overseas for twelve years. It was time to settle down in the states, buy a house and try to establish some roots. Military life had provided some wonderful travel experiences but something was missing. One of the reasons for settling in Colorado Springs was the western lifestyle. Watching rodeos on TV is one thing but being there in person, smelling the smells, hearing the sounds, is a thrill. When the flyers for the rodeo started appearing around town, I knew I had to be there. I called the head of rodeo committee, told him I was new in town, had just returned from overseas and how do I get the best seats in the house. Tickets were left for me at the will-call window for all four days of the rodeo.
There I was on the first night’s performance sitting in the front row! The excitement was electrifying. I loved the smells of the cotton candy, hearing the pounding of the horses’ hooves, even the dirt flying in my face. When the American flag was brought into the arena, the crowd of rodeo fans standing and singing the National Anthem, I knew why I had moved back home. Colorado was home, I knew right then and there. I couldn’t have been more proud.
As the events started that evening, out of the corner of my eye, standing in the wings, I spotted Maverick for the first time. He was magnificent. A huge dun stallion with a long black mane and a boy sitting on him, roping his ears with a piggin’ string! Calmly standing in the alleyway, getting his ears roped and waiting his turn to pickup bareback riders. Billy’s son Dalton had warmed up Maverick and was watching for the signal to make a horse switch. Billy was already in the arena on another horse. After four or five rides, Billy switches horses, always keeping his horses fresh. Next time you are at a rodeo, watch a pickup man work the arena. A pick up man’s horses work so hard, chasing down bucking broncs, clearing the arena of bulls.
Soon after the horse switch was made, Billy and Maverick were under the lights. That’s when Maverick’s buckskin color glowed. Maverick was looking so amazing as he galloped around working the arena, picking up riders, dragging broncs out. I just couldn’t take my eyes off of Billy and his young stallion. There was a presence the two of them had as they methodically worked as a team. It was magical to watch.
I barely slept, re-living each event in my head and thinking of the beautiful dun horse I had seen the night before. By the time the next evening’s performance came around, I arrived early, anxious to see the young stallion again. But Billy was riding another horse. I looked in the warm-up area, and Maverick wasn’t being warmed up by Dalton. I learned later that Billy uses a day on, day off work plan for his horses. I watched the rest of the evening’s performance wondering where Maverick was. That night, Maverick was doing what he does best, resting in his stall and eating.
By the following evening’s performance, I wasn’t sure I would see the stallion that had captured my attention. But I was not disappointed that night. When he came into the arena to work, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. It was Maverick’s turn to rope bucking bulls that night, so during a break, I crawled over the seats and made my way down to the arena floor. After gathering my courage, I spoke with Dalton, who was waiting on Maverick. “Who owns him? and what is his pedigree?, and is he for sale?”. As soon as those words came out of my mouth, I wonder why I had even asked if he was for sale. I thanked Dalton for his time. I’m sure he thought I was a weirdo or a stalker or something. Billy had finished for the night and again I felt the urge to talk to him more about Maverick.
Billy Ward is a classic cowboy. He works hard for a living, as do his boys. Billy works his horses hard, but each animal is part of the family, treated with respect and love. He is polite, tips his hat to a lady, and looks you straight in the eyes when he talks to you. With his drawl, he says, “Yes, ma’m” and “No, ma’m” as do both of his boys. His wife, Marlo, is a former rodeo queen, a sweet lady, a great mother. After talking with Billy, who still had to sort stock and feed his own horses after the rodeo, I arranged to meet him on the last day of the rodeo to ride Maverick. I never bought a car I didn’t test drive and I wasn’t going to buy a horse I couldn’t test ride either.
Prior to the last performance, I showed up at Billy’s trailer. I don’t think Billy really thought he would ever see me again, but there I was. He sent Dalton down to get Maverick saddled up and I rode him. Seemed to get along okay with him but what was I thinking? I didn’t have a barn to put him in. I had just moved back from Europe only a few weeks before. I didn’t own a halter, or a lead rope. I hadn’t ridden a horse in 28 years! Was I out of my mind, looking at a four-year-old stallion, let alone asking if he were for sale? Billy had told me he didn’t need to sell Maverick, didn’t want to sell him and even if he never rode him again, as a stallion, Billy could make money on stud fees. Clearly, Billy wasn’t sure if I was going to go through with this. By the end of the day, we worked out a deal. Billy still needed Maverick to finish out the rodeo season. Since I had no place to keep a horse, much less a stallion. I told Billy and Marlo that day if I bought their horse, they would get stuck with me. I would show up at all the rodeos and offered to help out if I could. They still sold me a horse and we have been friends ever since. As Billy drove out of the lot that day, taking Maverick with him back to Wyoming, I wondered, “What have I just done?” I wrote a check and Billy kept the horse. All on a hand shake, a cowboy’s handshake. All of this occurred at my very first rodeo.
A few weeks later, I get a call from Billy. He was going to be at the Colorado State Fair Rodeo and was wondering if I would like him to bring Maverick along. He had some room in the trailer and I didn’t live too far away so I could to ride Maverick around a bit. “SURE!” I didn’t hesitated. I was so excited to see the horse I had just bought and get a chance to spend more time getting to know Billy, too.
As a girl, I grew up on a farm. I rode a lot, showed a lot and even won state championships on the ponies I rode and trained. I always rode stallions, even as a girl. Years later, I worked at stable on Long Island with hunters and jumpers. I have even ridden side-saddle over fences at Madison Square Garden. So, I was hoping all those skills, as a child would resurface again, like riding a bicycle. But that seemed like a lifetime ago.
At the second rodeo of my life, I got to watch Maverick work with a special sense of pride. That was my horse Billy was riding, that was my stallion. And he was a beauty. It is truly hard to keep your eyes off of him when he is in the arena. He is just striking to watch.
After the Friday evening performance in Pueblo, Billy had been approached by a gentleman, asking who owned Maverick. Billy told the man he didn’t Maverick was for sale, that a lady just purchased him a few weeks earlier. The gentleman was the stud manager for the largest Quarter Horse Ranch in Colorado. The stud manager wanted Maverick to stand at stud at the ranch the following season. Up to that point, I knew that Maverick was a good-looking horse, but I had never even looked at his papers, or looked up his pedigree. I remember hearing some of the names that Billy mentioned to me, like Joe Hancock, Junior Reed, from when I was a girl. It was only then that I realized that Maverick was really a well-bred horse.
A few weeks later, Billy called me again. This time he wanted to take Maverick to the big show, the NATIONAL FINALS RODEO in Las Vegas. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. The finals was the third rodeo I had ever been to in my life.
Each year, the rodeo cowboys vote which pickup man will go to the finals. It is an honor to be voted for and Billy Ward has gone to the finals 7 times. I was beside myself with excitement, and bursting with pride every time Billy and Maverick entered the arena. I watched every performance that year. Maverick was used to rope bucking bulls and take them out of the arena in a timely manner. There was my Maverick, standing in the Thomas and Mack arena with 18,000 people screaming and yelling. He was quiet, calm and confident, as if he were standing in his paddock at the ranch.
ROPES LIKE A GIRL
A cowboy is judged by other cowboys by the horse he (or she) sits on. There is enormous pride in owning a good horse, the kind of horse that anyone would be proud to have in his or her barn. That’s the kind of horse Maverick is. I wanted to make Maverick proud. I owned a good roping horse. I bought him from a great cowboy. I wanted to make Billy Ward proud. Maverick carried the BH brand of the Hurley Ranch, I wanted to make them proud. Maverick was just too good of a horse to go on trail rides with. I wanted to show him off, take him to shows and to win again, like I did when I was young. Those were some on the best memories of my life. Maybe I was going through a second childhood, but what’s wrong with that?
I have always said, “If you treat an animal special, it will feel special, and it will be special”. Now that I owned this nice horse, I wanted to really make him proud. Or, maybe I should say, I didn’t want to embarrass my horse. Or, better yet, I didn’t want to embarrass myself. I didn’t want to be a drug store cowboy. The one with all the fancy clothes, the fancy saddles and bridles, but couldn’t get out of their own way if they tried. I didn’t want to be known as a city slicker, a city girl. I knew in my heart I had more talent then that. It was just a matter of going way back in my childhood, deep in my youth and dusting it off the talent that had been hidden away for decades. I wanted to be what all the cowboys call “a hand”. Could I do that? Was it possible at 52 years old to learn how to rope? I wasn’t even sure I could learn to ride again.
I started out by riding Maverick every other day, like Billy would when he had the horses on the road. Work hard one day, then a day off to recover or rest. To this day, I keep that routine if possible. When I am traveling with the horses, I give them one days rest before I show them or ride them. I also had to get my muscles working again. Remember it had been 28 years since I rode a horse. Maverick was very patent with me, doing every thing I asked. Since he was a rope horse, he really didn’t know the things that I thought were important, like taking his leads, flying changes, flexing and bending. He didn’t have to know those things before. Since that was all I knew, we went to work on that.
When it came to roping, I would be a liar if I ever said I knew what I was doing. I have never even held a rope before! So when a friend suggested I attend a Ranch Roping Clinic, I thought it would be a good chance to get some instruction.
Martin Black is a legendary horseman. He is a 5th generation cowboy who has been roping and riding all his life. When he came to a local ranch to do a clinic, I jumped at the chance to learn how to rope. Thinking that I was a fairly intelligent person with above average ability, I could learn how to throw a rope in no time at all.
After I saddled my horse and cut the tags off my new rope, I rode into the pen quite proud, but knowing that I knew nothing about roping, let alone ranch roping. But how hard could it be? It became very apparent very quickly that I couldn’t even hold my rope and the reins at the same time. Forget about when Maverick was moving, just walking, I couldn’t do two things at once. Clearly this wasn’t going to be easy as I thought it was. If my horse wasn’t standing still, I couldn’t even get my rope coils organized. At least Maverick would come to a stop when I dropped the reins. I felt like a total idiot.
Martin was kind and patient, however. By the end of the clinic, I told him (while trying not to cry in total frustration) all I wanted to do was to be able to hold my rope without dropping my reins! He showed me how to hold the reins, pick up my rope, and hold my coils. The swinging would have to wait until later. That was when I realized that being a cowboy was not going to be as easy as I thought it would be.
WORK, WORK, MORE WORK
The next winter, I moved Maverick to a roping barn near Denver so I could practice my roping and ride in a warm indoor arena. The barn had lots of roping steers and offered weekly lessons. Perfect, I thought. I would get lots of time in the saddle and learn to rope, too. Not that I could hold my rope without dropping it, I need to learn how to catch something. Of course, I didn’t have a clue what I would do if I did ever manage catch a steer, but that would come later, hopefully.
My first real roping lesson was a real eye opener. First of all, I spent more time standing next to a roping dummy, a bail of hay with a plastic cow head stuck in it, than I did on Maverick. He was starting to really like being my rope horse. He didn’t have to do anything! On lesson nights, there were lots of kids, anywhere from age 8-15 years old, and then there was me. We would all stand in line, waiting to take a turn at roping the dummy. Boy, did I feel like the dummy. These kids were great! They hardly ever missed. I missed, a lot, but I never gave up and I practiced.
When I got to the point where I could actually rope the dummy consistently, then and only then were you allowed horseback to track a slow steer around the pen. You had to think of so many things at once. The size of your loop, the angle of the swing, the position and speed of your horse. I didn’t think I could ever do it! Maverick knew what to do and he would get me to the right spot, the best position first time every time. I never had to worry about where the cow is because if I were blindfolded, Maverick would always get me where I needed to be. When I would swing my rope and hit him in the head, he kept going, never slowing down or missing a beat. He might lower his head a bit but he was always where he needed to be. Maverick was a great teacher. Patient and kind, he did his job. And he taught me what a good rope horse he is.
Up to this point I was just tracking slow steers around, trying to catch one. If and when I did manage to rope one, I couldn’t even remember to dally half the time. I was still so stunned that I actually caught a steer, I couldn’t remember what to do after I roped it.
After I got to the point of roping one out of five steers, my instructor, Lee, wanted me to back Maverick into the roping box and try roping a real moving target. I had never done that before so I wasn’t sure what to do but I’d seen it done at the rodeos and on TV, so how hard cold it really be? You’ve seen the cowboys back a horse into the box, nod for the steer to be let out of the chute and they rope the steer on a dead run. Sure, I can do that. I walked Maverick into the box, back him into position. The chute man says to me,” Just nod, honey, whenever you’re ready, okay?” and I nodded, thinking I was acknowledging that I understood what he had just said to me. Well, the man hit the release since I nodded to him. The steer bolted out of the chute, and Maverick took off like a shot out of a cannon! I nearly got left in the dirt. Forget about swinging my rope, I nearly went off backwards and was lucky to stay in the saddle. I never knew Maverick had been a heading horse but should have realized that because he had been bred to be one. By the time Maverick finally stopped at the end of the arena, I had the biggest smile on my face! I think I even dropped my rope. Better dropping the rope instead of falling off the horse. I was so proud of Maverick. I never knew he could move that fast. Put a cow in front of him and he lights up like a sing on the Las Vegas strip. I learned to rope that winter.
SHOW HORSE
There comes a time during the training process when you as the trainer want to take the horse out to showcase the training you have done or just to show the horse off a bit. The first show Maverick was entered in couldn’t have gone worse. Actually, anything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. Mostly it was the rider’s mistakes, I have to admit. Dropped my rope, had to find it after I had worked my cow on the fence, then just ran out of time. That’s about all I can remember, as I was a bundle of nerves. Maverick made quite an impression at the show as he does wherever he goes. I remember one man asking me why a lady would want to ride such a huge, macho stallion. I replied that if Maverick was a fire-breathing studly-acting horse, I might consider a man riding him. Maverick is a perfect gentleman, never acts up, never so much as a whinny when he is out in public. So why shouldn’t a lady ride him?
Maverick continued to go to every show I could enter the first show season. He really did well. I didn’t. Either I got timed out of events or I would miss roping my cows. But we kept at it, kept practicing, never gave up and met a lot of really nice people along the way.
By the second show season, we were really starting to click. It is always a challenge to find the right balance between, training and resting the animal. Some horses really need to work every day, never missing a day’s work, then a long warm up at the show. Maverick is a bit on the lazy side, which if I had to fault him at all, that would be it. I have never asked him to do too much, so when I show him, I don’t warm him up to long before the class. I believe in doing the work at home and the show will be the easy part. By the late summer, Maverick really started working well. He was performing flawlessly, and I was finally roping the way I practiced. Not only was he placing high in the performance classes, he was winning in the halter classes, too. Finally others were seeing what I saw every day, a gorgeous, well-balanced, correct horse. This horse makes me feel so proud to show, so honored to own and so privileged to ride.
Because of Maverick, I won my very first trophy buckle at age 55! Then just two weeks later, we won another buckle. There are reasons things happen in life that are difficult to explain. Some people would call it faith, some would call it a coincidence, or destiny. Whatever it is called, there was a reason that Maverick came into my life at the exact time that he did. And I am a better person because of him. We have learned some much together. We have met so many great people together. Maverick has blessed my life is so many ways and I can only hope he will be in my life for many more years.
With the small herd of mares that I breed each year to Maverick, I hope to always have some little Maverick babies running through the fields. Seeing the babies really brings so much joy to me. It forces me to stop, watch, appreciate and enjoy life when the world starts spinning too fast.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Where do I start to thank all the people I‘ve met because of Maverick? I have had the opportunity to travel with Maverick all over the Western States from South Dakota to Texas, and California to Arkansas and points in between.
I can’t thank Billy Ward and his family enough for allowing me to purchase Maverick. I hope Billy, Marlo, Dalton and Denton understand how much Maverick has changed my life and how much I value their friendship.
The talented Martin Black has opened my eyes to the fine art of horsemanship. He has taught me how to be the best horsewomen I can be and to strive to be better. Martin’s explanations to my never-ending questions were always taken to heart.
Jennifer Maynard and Lucas Talbott, former trainers at the T-Cross Ranches, you helped me on a daily basis with my problems and remain good friends today. Your friendship is something I will always treasure.
I met the Hurley’s in Arkansas. Bob Hurley told me that I got a real good one in Maverick. He is proud to show off Maverick when we come to Clarksville. Scott Fogg and Libby Hurley-Fogg, thank you for making feel like part of the family every time Maverick and I come to visit.
Kathy Key, owner of the Key Stallion Station, I wish I had met you sooner. You take such good care of Maverick during breeding season. He loves being out in his pasture every day, loves all the attention you shower on him. You know how much I hate not being with him, but you care for him like he is yours.
To all the mare owners who have bred mares to Maverick, thank you for all your support and kind words. I hope you love your foals as much as I love Maverick. Your comments and support throughout the years are much appreciated.
Life is full of experiences. I will continue to experience what is thrown in my path and use each life lesson as a tool to reach my goals and to enjoy each day as if it were my last and appreciate the treasures I have been given.
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PDF — BH Hancocks Star Extended Pedigree Chart >