06/26/2025
When the Tide Shifts: Reflecting on Teton Ridge’s Exit
There’s been no shortage of chatter across the horse world these last few days. The announcement that Teton Ridge is stepping away from the Western performance horse industry has lit up social media, and not in the most graceful way.
Comments swirl with criticism. People are outraged. “They raised prices!” “They made horses unaffordable!” “They weren’t in it for the right reasons!” But let’s pause and be real for a moment—how many of those same people would hesitate to cash a five- or six-figure check if it was handed to them for their horse? Not many. Because the truth is, horses are worth exactly what someone is willing to pay for them on any given day. And if that day just happens to be your lucky one, and the stars align for you to sell a horse at three or four times what it’s “worth”—good for you.
We talk a lot in this industry about wanting more recognition. More spotlight. More money. More shows. More media coverage. But folks—those things don’t happen on good intentions alone. They take investment. And not the kind of investment that comes from fundraisers or benefit auctions. We’re talking serious, corporate-level capital to rent major arenas and produce world class events. That’s uncomfortable for some. It’s new. It’s different. And yes, sometimes it looks like a marketing department with a vision that doesn’t align with what we’ve always done. But guess what? That’s what it takes to shift the needle.
It’s easy to forget that behind the logos and livestreams, there were real people working at Teton Ridge who love horses just like we do. People we’ve personally worked close with here at WhoaZone. People who gave up weekends, mornings, and meals to do right by the animals and the industry. That’s not corporate. That’s heart. Remember the real people, trainers, and their families that were part of this project. They too are dealing with it all. Comfortable? No. But, they were a huge part of our industry climbing the latter and being the faces of cowboy culture to people that may have not known our world existed. That's a big deal.
It is disappointing. No doubt. Many of us hoped for a longer run, a deeper impact, a broader future. But at the end of the day, this is business. And like all businesses, sometimes things pivot. Sometimes a vision doesn’t pan out the way it looked on paper or was envisioned in advertisements.
And now comes the dispersal. The TR9 horses are headed to the sale ring, and once again, there’s controversy. “The sale will skew the market.” “These horses will bring too much.” Or, “they’ll bring too little.” Take your pick. But the truth is—they should bring big numbers. These horses are black-type, blue-blooded athletes. They are the kinds of horses people dream of owning. And for someone out there, that dream just became a possibility. We will see people posting: “I bought my unicorn today.” That’s the magic. That’s the full-circle moment. And it matters.
So let’s take a breath. Let’s find the good. Let’s remember that innovation often comes with growing pains. New money will come and go, tides will rise and fall. The essence of cowboy culture isn't gong to change at the grass roots - for the love of the horse. But if we stay stuck in a cycle of cynicism, questioning, and contradiction—we will never get to where we say we want to go.
We can’t have it both ways. If we want more eyes on our sport, more money flowing in, and more spotlight for the horses and sport we claim to love—then we have to be open to growth, even when it’s messy, different, or challenging. Because change is coming either way.
The question is: are we going to complain about it, or are we going to ride the wave to the future?
I will tell you one thing we will be at The American Performance Horseman July 19th cheering our favorite horse and rider teams at the top of our lungs and supporting those that worked so hard to earn that stage.
☮️ 💕🦄
- Skye
WzEquine.com
