On the Cover of Country World News

April 4, 2009

Bryan Holloway trains cutting horses at his ranch near Terrell. He also competes in his spare time.

--Courtesy photo

Horse trainer making strides with career

By CODY BEDELL, Country World Staff Writer

April 2, 2009 - Fifteen years ago, after graduating from high school in Rockwall, Bryan Holloway began breaking horses as a summer job.

Later, he attended paramedic school, with hopes of becoming a firefighter. However, it didn't take long before he realized that horses were his true passion.

"When I was 21, I began traveling around the country shoeing and transporting horses," said Holloway, owner of Rocking Bar H Farms in Poetry, near Terrell. "In the beginning, I met up with the right people in the equine industry and they led me in the right direction.

"I never really had a mentor; I pretty much learned everything I know on my own by watching professionals and taking expert advice."

Within a few years of traveling around the country, Holloway got involved in reining cow horses and soon began competing and eventually became a trainer.

"I traveled around the country and eventually took the job as the ranch manager of a breeding facility in Southern California," said Holloway. "While in California, I also met my wife, Karen, who is also a horse enthusiast. She has been around horses all of her life and also has competed in barrel racing. We eventually moved back to Texas, and began building our farm on the border of Kaufman and Hunt County."

After several years of breeding, training, breaking and competing in the working cow-horse industry, Holloway found the exhilarating sport of cutting.

"Cutting is much different than reining," he said. "From the style, technique and equipment, the two sports are widely different.

"Competing in a reining class, there is always a forward motion, and the rider is in full control and can lift the reins to tell the horse where to go. In cutting, there are several motions and the horse is usually doing most of the work and the reins are held down to allow the horse to move more freely. The transition has been very difficult for me because of my past with reining horses. It has been hard, but I love it."

Holloway said he began showing in the Foundation classes last year.

"This year, we have shown at four shows with four horses and have won nine awards in the Foundation Quarter Horse Association (FQHA)," he said. "We won the open working cow-horse class; we were fourth in versatility and third in reining cow-horse."

To complement his activities, Holloway has built a breeding and training facility for performance horses on his 45-acre ranch.

"I am still traveling to cutting shows and competing when I can, but I am also training horses and managing a breeding facility at my ranch," he said. "We have four standing stallions that we collect from and send semen throughout the country. We have bloodlines from prestigious cutting bloodlines such as Peppy San Badger, Freckles Playboy and Dual Pep. We also stand Genuine Dun It, a 14 year-old Dun stallion who was the first NCHA money earning son of Hollywood Dun It."

Holloway built his horse facility with the horse and the owner in mind.

"Whether I am training a horse or dealing with the owner, their comfort and satisfaction is what I ensure foremost," he said. "My philosophy is to take care of those who have taken care of me.

"It has been wonderful to be able to live my dream and work with horses. I love it and so does my wife, which makes it that much more enjoyable that we can enjoy it together. I just enjoy helping people and their horses"

For more information, visit www.RockingBarHFarms.com .