Cowboy coach

The horse’s hooves fall softly on the loose arena sand. The occasional creak of the saddle carries on the breeze as the equine and rider move in tandem, working a cow back and forth against the back wall of the cedar plank-lined pen. The horse, a quarter horse stallion named Hollywood, begins to turn and box the cow on his own as years of training and conditioning take over. This is something that thrills his owner and rider. “Did you see him? He got in there and just turned her,” said Troy Rogers from astride Hollywood. “Good boy.” For more than two decades, Rogers has been working to get where he is today — on six quiet acres in Los Trujillos, south of Belen. He shares it with his wife, Diane DeBlanc, who is an equine veterinarian, a friendly pack of dogs, several horses and a few dozen head of cattle. But Rogers isn’t what would be called a “gentleman rancher.” He has worked diligently to become one of the best competitors in the stock horse world and one of the most highly sought instructors in the southwest. He is a versatility ranch/stock horse and working cow horse competitor, clinician and coach. Rogers has had success and won championship awards in numerous performance horse events, including working cow horse, reining, versatility ranch/stock horse, team penning and ranch sorting. Rogers has put his skills to the test and taken numerous home awards in the last few years, including being named the Region 5 – Open Division All-Around Champion and an American Quarter Horse Association Working Cow Horse and All-Around National Champion in 2010. Rogers is also an AQHA judge for versatility ranch horse and with the American Stock Horse Association. To get to that level, Rogers is up early every day, training and teaching, traveling the region hosting clinics and events. His students have enjoyed success over the years in youth, novice and non-pro classes most everywhere they go. His success wasn’t easy and it didn’t come fast. Working full time for Purina Mills as an equine nutritionist, Rogers traveled the region selling high-quality feed and helping breeders and owners set up their own feeding programs. After 25 years, Rogers retired from Purina this year and can now dedicate himself to his labor of love and passion — his company, 4R Performance Livestock, which was built during vacations and free time while he worked. He draws students from southern and eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado and Arizona. Rogers teaches them and their horses how to be competitive, high-end, versatile cow horses...more