ADVERTORIAL
The Natural
Joel H. Marr upgrades racehorse training facility with fabric structures from Legacy Building Solutions. TULAROSA, N.M. – “It runs in the family.” People who utter this phrase could be referring to some hereditary trait like eye color or height that passes its way down from generation to generation. But they also may be referencing personality characteristics, shared hobbies or traditions that likely have more to do with nurture than nature. Joel Marr isn’t too concerned about the distinction. The owner of Joel H. Marr Training Stable in Tularosa, New Mexico, the town where he was born and raised, Marr has been around horses for his entire life. He’s the son of another horse trainer (his father) and a champion barrel racer (his mother). He has a degree in animal science from New Mexico State University and has been training since 1989. Add it all up, and it would be easy to simply say that Marr followed in his family’s footsteps – and leave it at that. Knowing that we are all products of our upbringing and environment, at least to some extent, Marr probably wouldn’t argue with being labeled a “family footsteps” guy – not because he necessarily agrees with such a blanket assessment, but more so because it’s much easier to just do what comes naturally than worry or argue about why it does. Following his natural instinct has led
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Marr to a lot of success on the racetrack for the thoroughbreds and quarter horses he trains. More recently, it’s also led to a transformation of his 150-acre training facility, which is now in its third generation of Marr family ownership. Over the years, Marr has operated both at his own location and remotely, including at various group-owned training centers. While some of Marr’s clientele will always be based at the racetrack, his goal was to modernize Marr Training Stable and centralize his growing operation at home, where he could have greater control over all aspects of his training regimen. “I train primarily for other owners,” said Marr. “A lot of young horses get started at our site. They learn and train, and then go to the racetrack from there. Some will also come here for rest or rehabilitation, and head back to the track once they are closer to being ready to run again.” The existing site included an irrigated pasture, barns and other traditional structures, but Marr’s vision was to take the facility to the next level. One item, in particular, that had been on his wish list for about 10 years was a tension fabric building. Marr looked into various fabric structure manufacturers and ultimately decided to
enlist Legacy Building Solutions (www.legacybuildingsolutions.com) for a new stall barn. Unlike most fabric buildings on the market, which typically feature a rounded web truss frame design, Legacy structures utilize a rigid-frame engineering concept with solid structural steel beams. This technology allows users to easily customize building dimensions and features to the exact specifications desired. “The conventional architecture of the Legacy building was very appealing,” said Marr. “I don’t like the hoop shape you see on a lot of fabric structures, because you lose so much space on the sidewalls. It was clear that their engineering was well thought out and very modern. Their installation methods are more advanced as well. The fabric is attached in a way where it never touches the steel, and the individual fabric panels are easier to tension and install than buildings with one big cover.” The stall barn measures 79 by 180 feet, enough space to accommodate a wash area, office space, and 45 new box stalls for broodmares and breeding stock that are permanent residents, as well as other horses that come and go. The solid frame design of the fabric structure provides straight sidewalls, exactly what Marr wanted in