TAYLOR SHERIDAN INTERVIEW

by Tracy Wager

Q - How does it feel to be able to invest in good horses?

A - At this point we are trying to raise our own rather than buy them finished. I have some very good stallions and a very strong brood mare band. Initial foal crops are now 3 so we’ll see how all this is going very soon.

Q - You empower several top trainers with your horses in different disciplines, how do you keep track of what is going on?

A - I don’t have a ton of horses in training. I have a ton of babies — managing those and trying to decide who to put in training and which we sell is the tricky part. Right now I’m really focused on the fillies so we look to market the colts.

Q - What horse is your favorite to ride and why?

A - It depends on what I’m doing. If we are ranching I’ve got a Gunners Special Nite mare that hated the reining, but she is wicked in the big country: very sure footed, nothing rattles her, very cowy and even though she’s not very big but will pull her weight with a rope.

Q - When did you know The Run for a Million was a hit?

A - I knew if I could get people to Vegas that first year, it would change reining and all western equine sports over the next few years. And it has. Prize money has doubled or more at every major event in every discipline, attendance is up, and look at horse prices. Everyone says it’s the Yellowstone effect, but I think Run For A Million did more for the horse market than Yellowstone — at least the big time performance horses.

Q - Las Vegas sure proved to be the perfect location and South Point the perfect venue – did you see that as an advantage from the start?

A - South Point is the perfect place — It is a spectator sport, and that’s how we treat it. Las Vegas is the perfect town for it and South Point the perfect host. Run For A Million has become a destination. The hotel sold out for this year at last year’s show, that tells you how phenomenal a partner the South Point has been for all of us. My goal is they have to build a bigger arena to accommodate us.