Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Horse trainer Anderson moves to Farmington
FARMINGTON — Internationally recognized horse trainer and clinician Clinton Anderson is moving his ranch to Farmington as the final step in his career switch to focus on training and showing performance horses.
Anderson, who is originally from Australia, is known for his horse training methods, which he taught on his television program “Downunder Horsemanship” that aired on RFD-TV, Fox Sports Net and on DownunderHorsemanship.TV. He also teaches in horsemanship clinics and tours, and through his learn at-home study kits, monthly subscription No Worries Club and training tools.
In 2018, Anderson made the decision to switch his career focus to training and showing performance horses, according to his website, down under horsemanship. com. Anderson divided his 250-acre Downunder Horsemanship Ranch in Stephenville, Texas, into six lots and was able to sell the entire facility for a total of $4 million in September, the website states.
After 28 years, Anderson said he was ready for a career change and retirement.
“I have always wanted to train horses more than people so I decided to get back into it,” he said.
He plans to keep his business going, and customers will still be able to purchase training material, join the No Worries Club and get support, but he plans to cut back his tours to about four a year, he said.
Anderson’s business offices are already in Springdale and he plans to move his horse training operation to a new 11-acre ranch outside
Farmington, he said. The private facility will include a 28-stall barn and a completely indoor, insulated and cooled arena, he said. It will also include an obstacle course, and cutting and square pens, the website states.
The horse training operation will employ about eight people, he said.
Anderson said he decided to move to the area to be nearer to close friends. He said he was also attracted to the area because of the cooler climate and the proximity to horse shows in Fort Worth and Oklahoma City, he said, noting Northwest Arkansas is very clean, has good schools and community, and has plenty of cattle and grass for training working-cow horses.
Because of the investments companies such as Walmart and JB Hunt have made in the community and in the arts, Northwest Arkansas has the same services that Fort Worth offered within a 15-minute drive, he said.
“Arkansas is a very pretty state; it’s a great place to live,” Anderson said.
Anderson was born and raised in Australia, where he grew up with a love of horses, according to his website, downunderhorsemandship. com. At age 12, he began playing polocrosse and was eventually chosen for a national team representing his state.
As a teenager, Anderson completed an apprenticeship with Gordon McKinlay, training more than 600 horses, many of which were wild horses from the outback, the site states. After graduating from McKinlay’s apprenticeship at 17, Anderson began working for cutting and reining champion Ian Francis.
Anderson moved to the United States in October 1997 and officially launched Downunder Horsemanship and his horsemanship method, based on mutual respect and understanding between horse and rider.
In 2001, Anderson became the first clinician to create a made-for-TV horse training program that aired on RFDTV and in 2011 he went on to launch a half-hour version of Downunder Horsemanship on Fox Sports Net, according to his website. Later that year, he created and released his own internet TV site, DownunderHorsemanship. TV.
In 2003 and 2005, Anderson became the first person to win the prestigious Road to the Horse competition twice in a row, his site states. The event challenges trainers to gentle and ride an untouched horse in less than three hours.
In 2007, he created the No Worries Club, a community for horsemen who practice his method.. Currently, training videos, publications and social networking with other members are available through the monthly subscription site, noworriesclub. com.
“Arkansas is a very pretty state; it’s a great place to live.” — Clinton Anderson, horse trainer and clinician