Gary Cooper

My love of horses started from a young age. Not knowing whether it was fate or destiny, I decided to follow my heart; and with only the name my mother and father gave me, I headed west. They say I was given a gift, being able to communicate with horses so well, even though I didn’t grow up with them. My spiritual Indian friend says that she believes that I was a horse in another life, and that’s where the gift of communication comes from. After moving from an Angus farm in Pennsylvania to Cody, Wyoming in 1989, I quickly became a ranch hand for one of the longtime cow outfits outside of Cody, the historic Mooncrest Ranch. Even though I knew cattle, I couldn’t get the desire to work with young horses out of my blood, so I soon got a job with Bob Curtis, a local Ray Hunt protégé who was a renowned horseman, colt starter, and cowboy. I worked for Bob for four years before eventually moving to California to work under NRCHA Hall of Fame cowhorse trainer, Benny Guitron. It was there that I learned the vaquero tradition and bit progression that it takes to make a finished bridle horse; starting with the snaffle and progressing through the hackamore and two rein, up into the Spanish spade. California was full of history and Spanish influence that horsemen of today use to develop a very light and responsive stockhorse. While in California, I got to be around, and was influenced by, legendary horsemen like Bobby Ingersoll, Ray Hunt, Les Vogt, Martin Black, Bob Avila, and Corey Cushing. In 2002, I ended up back in Cody after accepting a job with the famous Trout Creek Ranch, as their head horse trainer and showman. Six years later I ventured off on my own to start my own business right here in the same valley. It’s been almost a full circle coming back to Cody where I originally started, and our business is in its twelfth year here. We now help horses one owner at a time. We do lots of group clinics, private lessons, and show competitive cowhorses in the NRCHA, NCHA, and AQHA. (Source)