A Jefferson County family with decades of horse sense is preparing to help other horse owners interact better with their animals.
Tom and Bev Brown are hosting a horsemanship clinic August 26 & 27 at their ranch near Jefferson City. The couple has deep roots in Jefferson County, firmly planted in a tradition of raising and training performance and racing Quarter Horses.
Tom’s father Edgar is a member of the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, recognition of his contributions to rodeo, the horse business and leadership of the local, state and national high school rodeo associations. In 1962 Edgar built one of the first indoor horse training facilities in Montana, and the “red barn” visible from Interstate 15 at Jefferson City is still a landmark in the county.
Bev grew up nearby, riding with her father on the Ed and Clara Kyler Ranch in the Clancy/Wickes area. Tom was active in high school and college rodeo. Although he chose a corporate career in farm credit, banking and insurance that took him around the country, he remained involved with horses as a competitive team roper and horse trainer.
In California Tom was able to rope with pro rodeo champions and other world class ropers from whom he learned valuable lessons.
“I was there to learn how to rope better but I was more interested in how they trained their horses,” he says. After retiring in 2014, Tom decided to learn more about the nature of horses and horsemanship with a goal of training “some solid performance horses that won’t be for sale but will be used to mount young kids so they can compete.” He added, “That is what my dad did for me, my three sisters and several others who came to live with us over the years. It’s payback time.”
He has arranged for horse trainer Katy Negranti to present the two-day clinic at a new training facility the couple built after retirement on the same Jefferson City property his grandfather homesteaded in 1904.
Calling Negranti a “natural teacher,” Tom said, “Katy has a deep understanding of the nature of horses and has an optimistic outlook. She has an uncommon ability to make what is complex to a student simple.” Interested people of all ages with horses of any type are invited to participate in the clinic. Observers are also welcome. There is a charge for participating or watching.
For details, call Tom at 406- 439-7901 or see the clinic ad in this issue of the Monitor.
