Getting to Know the PAC Team: Ted Howard

My life has always revolved around the horse. I hold a deep respect for the horse and have always made my living with one.

As a teenager, I trained and rode race horses on recognized and bush tracks. Eventually my size prohibited my jockey career, and I started working in the feedlot. My twelve years riding pens allowed me to recognize the importance of the horse in relationship to the handling of cattle.

In 1980 I decided to train and shoe horses full time. This period in my life gave me the chance to fine tune my training methods and horsemanship principles. After fifteen years of training and shoeing I found myself owning and operating Ted’s Boot Repair and Tack shop in Oakley, KS.

I enjoyed resoling boots and fixing saddles while I continued to train horses for myself. During a portion of this time I owned and operated a cow/calf operation. Running cattle on grass and in stock fields allowed me to use stockmanship principles in an environment different from the feed yard.

I was offered the opportunity, in 2013, to become a part of PAC’s Animal Stewardship division. By specializing in horsemanship, I can help others utilize the horse to become better stockmen in the feed yard industry.

I have appreciated not only working with the PAC members, but also the hard working men and women in the feed yards.

When I’m not riding a horse for work, I’m team roping. Team roping has always been a way for me to take my horses’ abilities to a higher level. I enjoy competing in local jackpots, USTRC and World Series events.

Last, but certainly not least, my family is very important to me. My daughter, Dr. Kristy Booker and her husband Jason own and operate the Oakley Veterinary Clinic in Oakley, KS. They have blessed me with two beautiful granddaughters, Liberty (age 11) and Justice (age 9).

My wife, Darcy, and I stay busy following my stepson, JD Draper (age 17) in all of his rodeo endeavors. I am very fortunate.

Above: Ted’s granddaughters, Justice on the sorrel and Liberty on the gray horse. Below: JD Draper and Ted after they both won their events at different rodeos on the same day. JD won Sr. Boys All-Around at the Kit Carson Little Britches Rodeo in Burlington, CO and Ted had won the 40/40 Team Roping heeling at the Fort Wallace Rodeo in Wallace, KS.