Q: What’s the Pitzer Ranch all about?
A: My Granddad Howard began the ranch, and we run about 400 broodmares and cattle on the south half of the ranch. Howard’s daughter is my mother, Kay. My sister, Jane, and her husband, Joel Qualm, run a set of cows on the north half of the ranch. Our youngsters work right here, too, and we doubtlessly have grandkids that can go on with the ranch. It’s all about historical past and heritage on the Pitzer Ranch.
Q: What are Pitzer Ranch-raised horses—which are sometimes described as “good looking using horses”—recognized for?
A: My household began a line of horses within the Nineteen Sixties that we’re persevering with. The horses raised on the Pitzer Ranch are descendants of the legendary Two Eyed Jack, and so they make nice ranch and cord horses.
Q: Do the identical traits apply to each forms of horses?
A: A real ranch wants a horse that’s sound, has a very good disposition and is sufficiently big to do the job. A rope horse must be sound, have a very good disposition and be massive and bodily sufficient to do the job. We increase ranch horses, and the roping business got here to us, as a result of we simply occur to lift the correct of horses for roping. Denny Gentry made the marketplace for the rope-horse business, and now we have good horses to suit that market.
Q: How has crew roping match into your life?
A: I began exhibiting Quarter Horses on the horse reveals after I was 13. When I used to be 16, I received the open world championship on the World Show within the heading towards the lads. The subsequent yr, I received the youth. So from about 16 on, I’ve been a crew roper. They made me present halter and pleasure earlier than that, however I simply couldn’t hardly stand to go that gradual. I used to be one of many first 5,000 folks to get a USTRC card—#4,876, to be precise.
Q: Who else in your loved ones ropes?
A: Our entire household has roped, together with my (Miss Rodeo Nebraska) spouse. I rope 4 or 5 days every week—mainly each afternoon after we’re residence. Gralyn Elkins from New Mexico works for us, and trains horses on the ranch. So we rope loads (Jim and Gralyn received the #14.5 World Series Big Daddy roping in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 2020). I irritate all of the boys round right here, as a result of they suppose I rating too many.
Lifelong rancher and horseman Brinkman was lately elected to serve on the AQHA Executive Committee.
Jennings Photography
Q: Header or heeler?
A: I’ve at all times headed, heeled and roped numerous calves. My core enterprise is exhibiting horses, and while you present, you head, heel and cord calves on them—numerous the time on the identical horse. When I used to be a highschool child and didn’t know something, Paul Tierney was at our barn a pair days every week roping within the wintertime within the Seventies. All we had on the ranch was ranch cowboys, so he’s the man who was round on a regular basis who actually roped. Then on the weekends, we went to the Quarter Horse reveals.
Q: How a lot have you ever roped competitively over time?
A: We would in all probability go to 60-80 horse reveals a yr from after I was 13 to 2 or three years in the past, after I give up being the principle present man (Jim will probably be 63 on April 25). Gralyn and his spouse, Lakota, present our horses now. When I used to be residence, we’d go crew rope on the little native jackpots. When they began up the USTRC, I used to be all-in. There was actual cash at these. I went to the very first USTRC Finals on the Lazy E, and headed within the open for an additional native Nebraska boy, Warren Horner.
Q: Who are a couple of of your all-time favourite companions?
A: Dick Yates has a particular spot in my coronary heart. It’s enjoyable to rope with considered one of your heroes, and we roped collectively on the Perry Di Loreto roping in Reno a number of years. Roping with Dick is like roping with the mayor. Everyone stops and talks to him, and he’s a fantastic associate and a fantastic man. I’ve additionally roped loads with Mark Wray, who’s a fantastic neighbor and received the world heading within the AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) a couple of years in the past. I rope loads now with John Pudwill, who got here to work for us proper out of faculty, married the neighbor woman and trains horses. He’s adopted the ranch, and is type of like having one other son. I head for him in any respect the massive ropings now, together with the World Series Finale in Vegas.
Q: Is there one most memorable run?
A: No, not likely. What will get me as excited as something is when I’ve a extremely good horse and he actually works. It could be a practice-pen run, however when it’s, “Wow, that was cool, he really tried today,” that’s about pretty much as good because it will get for me. TRJ
