- Vera earl -
Ranch & Performance horses
The history of our horse operation started long before the inception of the Vera Earl Ranch as we know it today. Before Burton and Bettie Ann had even moved to the beautiful Sonoita valley in 1968, they hailed from Indiana, where Vera Earl Farms was alive and well, as was Burton’s budding Quarter Horse operation.
Starting in the 1950’s, and well into their Arizona years, Burton and Bettie Ann raised high-quality quarter horses that left their mark on the industry, including the 1964 AQHA Halter Champion Stallion, Irishbar Bob, along with many of his offspring, including Irishbar Wanda, Ima Irishdoll, and Lazy Irish Gold.
After Burton’s passing in 1977, the horse program continued to operate, continuing to produce and show top-tier stock. This lasted for another ten years or so before it began to dwindle, laying to rest a legacy.
Fast forward 25 years. The horse barn had been sitting empty and unused, a subtle reminder of the great program that had once graced these grasslands. Burton’s grandson, Ian Tomlinson, was now at the helm of the ranch, when one day, his youngest daughter Addison, only five years old at the time, said “it would be a good ideas to have a horse operation.” And doing what any father would do in such a situation, Ian got to work.
2012 would see the first steps taken on a journey of revival. The Vera Earl purchased two bred broodmares, Socks and Spot (whom we still have). Slowly, more mares were purchased. In 2016, Roseanna and Scarlett, both bred three-year-old’s at the time, were purchased from the 6666’s. Scarlett foaled a filly named Rosie, who is now not only a part of our embryo transfer program, but a cornerstone to our operation (and one of Ian’s pride mares).
The program continued to grow as the ranch acquired more mares; “rejects” from the cutting or cow horse programs through Melanie Smith (now Solo Select). When new mares came in, they were rode for several years on the ranch prior to breeding them, allowing for both a ranch horse and brood string to become established at the same time.
We have been fortunate enough to put together mares with top blood lines in the industry, including own daughters of Smart Little Lena, Bet Hesa Cat, Autumn Breeze (mare), and Boonlight Dancer.
In 2017, we purchased our first stud, Full Metal Metallic, aka Frank, an own son of Metallic Cat out of a mare called Little Trona. We then purchased Blu Masterpiece, aka Opp, from the Wagonhound Ranch at the 6666s Return to the Remuda Sale in 2018. Opp is an own son of Once in a Blue Boon and out of an own daughter of High Brow Cat.
Today, we have over 30 broodmares on site, 3 studs at stand, provide all of our cowboys with their own string of horses, have a line of cutting and reined cow horse show horses, and proudly hold a number of regional, and national, titles and awards.
Visit our Vera Earl Ranch & Performance Horse website to find out more about our operation, meet the team, see what sale horses are being featured, and learn about our studs (standing to the public).
