Family Focus:
Miller Quarter Horses (MQH) Makes The Move To Corrival Ranch
Keith and Sydney Miller have always taken pride in ensuring the success that they have established inside the show pen has been built on the core tenets of family, hard work, and strong partnerships with vets, farriers, and clients. It was recently announced
that Miller Quarter Horses (MQH) will operate out of Corrival Ranch in Boerne, Texas beginning in December 2024. Sydney shares that taking stock of their family and business needs prompted the decision.
Family Focus
Balance is a word that many in the horse training business acknowledge is difficult to achieve. The Millers have always strived to strike the balance of building a successful program while being fully present for their family. As any farm or ranch owner knows, owning property and running a successful horse business is more than a full-time job. This is especially true when you spend a lot of time on the road showing. “At this point in our lives we made the decision that we didn’t want the work of owning our own facility—we wanted to be able to make our family and our business the priority. Listing the farm was the right thing to do for our family,” says Miller.
Initially, she shares, they did not have a plan for where they would go. “We looked through a few options,” Miller says, “But Keith was showing at WEC in Ocala and ran into Susie Phillips who co-owns Corrival Ranch with Ben and Julie Wolff. She said that Keith needed to look at it. We ended up going to see it and realized that the facility fit really well with our program and how
we take care of our horses. The amenities available allow us to treat our horses like the athletes they are and maintain them to the highest standard.”
Corrival Ranch is a state-of-the-art facility that offers a world class training environment and rehabilitation services onsite. Miller notes that the 57-acre facility offers a treadmill, saltwater spa, and other amenities that the Millers have long made a staple of their program and had to previously go off-property to access.”
Miller also notes that they will be joining several other highly successful training programs that operate from Corrival. We are firm believers that excellence is not a one-time event, it is what one does day-in and day-out. Miller expressed that the opportunity to be surrounded by other world-class programs and facilities represents an additional commitment to excellence.
The Miller family is excited to relocate to an area where their entire family can thrive. “We love the area in Boerne and love the schools for our kids,” she says.
The Miller’s children, Charley and Lincoln are in third grade and kindergarten. “They are super excited,” says Miller. “This would be harder if they were in middle or high school, but they’re both still young. We want to be able to change with our kids and want to be able to go home at the end of the day and not miss practices or games. This change will simplify our
life so that we can continue to run our business the same way we have.” She adds, “This move is in the best interest of our family, but it also gives us the freedom to focus even more on our horses and our clients.”
Humble Beginnings
Since the beginning, Miller Quarter Horses has taken pride in prioritizing the wellbeing of the horse in everything they do. Sydney shares that Keith was still a horse crazy kid when he started out, and still is today in many ways. She says, “I think one thing that has contributed to Keith’s success is that he loves horses. It doesn’t have to be a hunt seat horse. When we’re at big shows, I’ll walk in and find him watching the cutting finals or watching dressage horses warm up. I think that when you have that much passion for something, it bleeds into everything you do.”
She also shares that Keith’s humble beginnings have contributed to his positive mindset and success. “Keith struggled to do what he wanted to do with horses growing up. He didn’t have access He did a lot of watching and learning and then had to work that much harder than anyone else when the opportunities came. That’s not a bad lesson to learn,” she says.
The Millers met as youth in Pennsylvania when Keith was 18 and Sydney was 16. At the time, Keith was working for western pleasure trainer Ray Carmean. Soon after, Keith went out on his own. “Keith didn’t work for other professionals for as long as many people do before starting their own business. I think that’s why he’s also been focused on watching and studying what works. I hear him tell people all the
time that the best thing you can do is watch the warmup pen and emulate what’s winning. Study the people you want to be like and pay attention to what’s not working,” says Miller.
All Credit to the Horse
Early in his career, Keith had an opportunity to work with some great hunter under saddle horses says Sydney. “It really took on a life of its own,” she shares. “A great horse is a great horse, but we had some excellent horses early on and Keith ran with it because he loves great horses.”
One of those horses was Air Ride Equipped, who Keith won his first AQHA World Championship with in 2011. “You couldn’t find one more talented, but he was tough from day one,” says Miller. “We bought him from Shane and Cindy Young, and they were behind Keith every step of the way.”
Sleepin was another exceptional horse in the Miller’s program that, in many ways, was ahead of his time and redefined the image of a hunter under saddle horse
“For as hard as Air Ride Equipped was, Sleepin was one of the easiest. There was not a mean bone in that horse’s body. He was a good soul and probably one of the greatest show horses we’ve ever had. He had a home for life with us thanks to his owner Meg Pye who’s been with us from the start. When our daughter was six
weeks old, Pax was the first horse we put her on with Keith. Then when she was ready to learn to canter on her own, he was the first horse she rode. He was just a good, kind soul,” Miller says.
“We have had so many exceptional horses, and we have been so fortunate to be part of so many of our clients’ successes with their horses. We are blessed to have clients who believe in our program and trust Keith’s approach to riding, showing, and the care we provide. They believe in how we run our program and are excited about this move and the opportunities it presents for all of us,” she shares.
Miller says that Keith would be the first to say that the success he’s earned is about more than him showing the horses—there is a team of vets, farriers, and other professionals that make everything work. That team approach is what attracted the Millers to Corrival and the many opportunities available to offer their horses and clients a world class experience.
Article Written by: Elizabeth Arnold
Photography by Shane Rux Photography, Larry Williams Photography, Cody Parmenter Photography, Caroline Salyors & Premier Sires
