Beneath the big Texas sky, in the rolling hills of Jacksonville County, unfolds a little bit of heaven, called, The Texas White Horse Ranch. A place where white horses dance through the translucent beam of moonlight that is shining underneath the twinkling, summer stars. By dawn, the snow colored ponies are cantering at liberty back to the barn while some, left behind, still play in the dew-covered pasture by prancing in the morning sunlight. During the summer time at The Texas White Horse Ranch, chosen white horses live animated lives performing under the big spotlight, all to a thundering of applause that echoes from the big top circus tent. Each snow white horse, steps in time and delivers their partner through every hurling feat. Some dance through fire, others carry their riders that are dangling from the side of the saddle, as they gallop majestically down the parameter of the arena. White manes and tails bounce simultaneously in the wind as the light colored hooves dance magically into the night. They call it the thrill of the Wild West Show, a rodeo attraction and highlight of the circus performers. From this out- fit, skilled performers have mastered their calling, live and breathe each day’s performance on their milky white horses. This is the tell tale legacy of the Texas White Horse Ranch. The Texas White Horse Ranch had gotten its start when two star performers fell in love at a young age and joined their lives in holy matrimony to became one. Don Anderson and wife, Joann tied the knot via horse back and the couple proceeded to develop their dream, of owning their own horse ranch and breeding operation. In the 1960’s Don and Joann were blessed with a boy and a girl, Austin and Staci. They too have developed their riding skills under the circus spotlight at a very young age. Their performances have taken them all over the United States and Canada to put on shows of Roman Riding, Trick Riding, Liberty Acts and many other daring feats of bravery. Austin took over the business and has taken the stage by keeping up the family tradition of training and showing the white horses. His performance includes Trick Riding, Roman Riding Jumping, Horse Stunts and training horses to fall. He also does Stage Combat, Fist Fights, Swords, Boxing, Fancy Whip Cracking, Target Cutting, Gun Handling (spinning), Trick Shooting, Chariot Racing, Team Driving and Team Roping. I doubt if he does windows. During his professional career, Austin had involvement in major picture show work that has made him a leading competitor in producing star quality horses. Having provided stunt horses for major films and specialty horses, Austin is without a doubt, all show with the go. He played a stunt double in the film, “Secondhand Lions” and worked with the falling horse scene. Training a horse to lay down comes first in working with horses trained to fall and that requires a great amount of trust between horse and handler and Austin is the master in creating that trust with his animals. Although  he has never been  burned, Austin works  with fire in some unusual circumstances.  In the film, “Acts of Love,” starring  the late Dennis  Hopper, Austin performed the stunts and worked as a  Fire Horse Assistant Trainer. Austin  actually worked with the horse to have him accept fire. An amazing scene where  the barn caught on fire and subsequently the horse has safely caught on fire then to drop to the ground. That is exceptional horse training. The horse used in the scene was greased with a fire retardant substance, so the animal was not harmed or injured in any way. Some of the other films in Austin’s career are “Texas,” “It Takes Two,” “Extreme Horseman,” “The Art of The Bullwhip,” “The Art of Gunplay,” and others. Austin Anderson has worked on several commercials. He was the horse trainer in Carrie Underwood’s Vitamin Water commercial and the B.C. Headache Powder commercial. He casted horses for the Comcast Cable commercial and Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages. Austin worked as a stunt rider in the Virginia State Lottery commercial and entertained viewers with the mounted whip cracking display in the commercial, Worlds of Fun Theme Park in Kansas City, Missouri. It was a natural progression for Austin to hustle jobs in the show performance industry and that explains why he just finished working his 10th year at the Fort Worth Livestock Arena in the Pawnee Bill Wild West Show. Driven, he is constantly thinking of ways to promote and market his business. Austin states, “It’s 110% or not do it at all. And I think I got this attitude from both of my parents, “My mom is very structured and organized. And over the years I had to learn how to work with people and the many different personalities and my dad, he is more even tempered.” Austin learned how to work hard and produce quality acts from the originators of The Texas White Horse Ranch, Don and Joann Anderson. “Most of our work is done behind the scenes and people don’t see that,” says Austin. “It is really a very short lived glory and where there is many hours and months put into the final production.”

On the business side, Austin Anderson offers an internship program at The Texas White Horse Ranch that enables him to mold new, young talent for the spotlight. Austin will spend a considerable amount of time, weeks at a time to get a new act off the ground. Riders new to trick riding have to be able to put the time in and be diligent; have a good work ethic and then will have an opportunity to get into a show. Austin explains that not everyone has what it takes to make a trick rider. Everything is different when you perform under the spotlight with a live audience. This is why Austin places his veterans to perform the more advanced trick riding and his new performers will perform the less daring acts. This way, it takes the pressure off the new riders and gives them an excellent start into the business. The Texas White Horse Ranch horses rarely experience burn out from performing because there is always something new that Austin will have for them to do. A horse that may get bored with an act or routine will develop a tendency to hesitate or slow down when asked to perform. Austin is keen to what a horse is thinking and will keep his horses interested in their work and healthy, as the show must go on. The older horses that have done outstanding work and have shown loyalty to their handler may earn the right to stay at The Texas White Horse Ranch to live out their remainder years. A complex and driven man, Austin is distinguished and definitive about his chosen path that created his own destiny. Austin affirms, “My religion is my horses. I am here with the horses. I do have outside interests and care about what happens politically and to the country, but things that are outside of my control...I am not going to worry about, I have to stay focused.” [He pauses,] “My theory is, (talking about opportunities and being smart enough to take advantage of those opportunities presented to you) we live in America, there are people who’ve made sacrifices to make this a free country and to honor those people, is to make the most of your opportunities from their sacrifices.” Ride on, Austin.

Cindy Roberts

Author Cindy K. Roberts is a contributing feature and column writer that has a lifetime experience with horses and mules. Cindy's equine heart, and passion for the wilderness rich in wild west history keeps her on the road with her paint horse, “Cowboy” and palomino mule - in search of the cowgirl spirit. Cindy can be reached through her web site www.everycowgirlsdream.com   or write cindy@everycowgirlsdream.com