Dad, The Driver

Larry Weatherford describes himself as his daughter’s driver—to shows, clinics, and competitions. But he’s much more than that when it comes to helping her chase her horse dreams.

- Katie Navarra

“I’M JUST THE DRIVER,” says Larry Weatherford, referring to hauling his daughter, Christina, and her horses to shows, competitions, lessons, and clinics all over Oklahoma. They even trekked 1,800 miles to Douglas, Wyoming, to the Powderhorn Ranch, site of their personal lesson and riding experience with clinician Ken McNabb. (See “Learning, Together” on page 74.) But Larry’s much more than a chauffeur. He’s the driving force in helping Christina achieve her horse-related goals.

Building a Horse Life

Larry rode occasionally as a youth, spending weekends at the local stockyards hopeful he’d have a chance to catchride. The Boy Scouts provided the most riding time for the young horse lover, with a weeklong summer camp that included daily horseback riding. His family never had the means to own or keep horses, but riding was an activity he enjoyed, and he longed for a horse of his own. After high school, he attended the University of Oklahoma, joined the Air Force, and went to work in public affairs, which led to his current position with the United States Small Business Administration.

Larry’s daughter picked up where Larry left off. When horses were the farthest things from Larry’s mind, it was clear Christina had caught the horse bug.

The family’s neighbor Pete kept a few young horses and welcomed Christina for regular visits. Before long, she was pitching in with chores, including grooming horses and breaking ice from the livestock tanks in the middle of winter.