Horseman to lead Sisters area clinic

Jim Cornelius | Last updated May 21, 2002 12:0pm0

Don't call Curt Pate a "horse whisperer."

As far as this Montana cowboy and horse trainer is concerned, "that's just a book term," a marketing fad that has rightly "kind of faded away."

What's left are "the good hands, the ones who can get it done and talk about it are the ones that are staying."

Pate will bring his brand of common sense horse work to Sisters for a one-day clinic on Tuesday, May 28 at Cisco Stables on Cloverdale Road. He'll demonstrate colt starting techniques and reveal the straightforward keys to successful horse training.

Pate comes by his interest in and skill with horses naturally.

"I was just kind of raised riding horses and doing ranch work," he said.

Both of Pate's grandfathers were in the horse business and they passed their hard-earned knowledge down to him. He spent time on the rodeo road both as a competitor and as an announcer.

There are fine horsemen with a total grasp of technique, who can't communicate it to the audience. And there are even more people who can talk a good game, but it's long on hype and short on practical technique.

Pate has a deep understanding of horses -- and through his experience in the arena he has developed the skill to connect with an audience.

The combination makes him a success in a horse training career that he acknowledges bears some resemblance to the nomadic rodeo life.

Pate is on the road 10 months a year putting on his clinics.

"I've got my saddle in the bag and I feel like I'm rodeoing again," he said. "If they played the National Anthem before my clinic, it would be just like the rodeo."

For more information on Pate's Sisters appearance, call The Feed Barn at 923-3333.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.