Price reins in his perfect job

WYANET — Seventeen-year-old Kole Price considers himself one lucky young man. His long-time love of riding and training horses has turned into a career.

Next summer, the Bureau Valley High School senior will go from training horses locally to working at one of the most prestigious horse ranches in the country, the Green Valley Ranch near Aubrey, Texas. Price likens that step to going directly from playing Little League summer baseball to playing with the New York Yankees.

Price said the 300-acre Green Valley Ranch is home to about 700 horses during breeding season, and about 400 horses throughout the rest of the year. The ranch trains horses for futurity competitions that include timed competitions, twirls and turns. Celebrities, like country singer Lyle Lovett, come to the ranch to buy horses and to have their horses trained.

Price will work specifically with the Brent Loseke Colt Company, where he will train 2-year-old horses in the fundamental training of cutting and reining. Price will not go to the ranch as a greenhorn. Last summer, he completed an internship at the ranch.

Price found out about the internship at Green Valley Ranch about a year ago while searching the Internet for ranch jobs. He contacted Green Valley and received a DVD of the ranch. Price’s grandfather, Melvin Price, encouraged him to follow his dream and to apply for the job.

“I’ve always had a strong passion for horses, probably gotten from my grandfather and father,” Price said. “My grandfather and I are so alike. He’s probably my biggest role model as a horseman.”

Price did apply for the internship and received a request back for a tape of him riding his horse. A couple weeks later, he got another call, this time asking him to come down to Texas for an interview.

In early November 2006, Price drove to Texas with his parents, Tim and Cindy Price, for his interview. In the one-day interview process, he was given three horses to ride, taking each of the horses through about six maneuvers. His future boss liked what he saw and gave him the internship.

When asked what his responsibilities were as an intern, Price had a one-word answer: Ride. He woke up about 4:15 a.m. each day and started riding by 5 a.m. Typically, Price would ride about 15 horses a day. The cost of those colts ranged from about $15,000 t0 $200,000.

By the end of the summer, Price had been promoted from intern to assistant trainer. He also finished the summer with a job offer to return after graduation.

Before leaving Texas in August to return to Wyanet, Price was given what he called the chance in a lifetime to ride three world-renowned horses in the reining field. Wimpy’s Little Step, as a 3 year old, has scored the highest futurity point on record, earned more than $185,000 in two shows, and has a stud fee of $7,500. Master Snapper has earned more than $135,000 and is the only horse undefeated in reining competitions in two continents. Chocolate Chic Olean has earned more than $100,000 and is the only horse to win in two divisions. The total worth of the three horses is more than $20 million.

Price started training horses when he was about 11 years old. Other than his family, his biggest supporter has been Ruth Maxwell, the first non-family member to give him a horse to train. Each summer, Maxwell had another horse or two for Price to train. She also recommended Price to others. One summer, he had 10 horses he was riding each day.

“I found my biggest fan in Ruth Maxwell,” Price said. “I really appreciate her help in getting me started. When other kids were detasseling, I was doing what I loved, riding horses.”

The key to training horses is to stop when things are going good, he said. Training can’t be rushed. Make it a short and sweet experience. Patience is important.

“People say I have patience with horses and I do, but the weird thing is I can’t hunt or fish because I don’t have patience for that,” Price said. “But with a horse, I have patience. I understand what they’re thinking about. I guess I have a gift.”

Although working with 2-year-old horses at the Green Valley Ranch is a great opportunity, it’s not the end of the road for him, he said. Through the next few years, he’d like to move on to even bigger ranches, to get more experience with different programs and horses. In a few more years, with lots of hard work and some more experience, Price would like to own his own ranch, training and selling his own horses and earning a name for himself and his horses in competitions. He also wants to become a “million dollar rider,” one whose horses have won major purses. In a few years, he’d like to try out for the U.S. Olympics Equestrian Team.

But for now, Price is excited just knowing that he’s going to a great ranch after graduation. He’s got four of the biggest horse trainers in the country on speed dial on his phone. As long as he sticks with what he loves to do best, and that’s riding the horses, he knows he’s headed in the right direction.

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