Interview with Stephen Derick Tipton, October 4, 2006

Partial Transcript: This is Kim Lady Smith, and I am at the Vanbert Farm in Stanton, Kentucky and today I am interviewing Derick Tipton for the University of Kentucky, uh, Oral History Project on the horse industry and the date is October 4th, 2006.

Segment Synopsis: Tipton tells his birthdate and where he was born. He describes his childhood in Stanton, Kentucky as well as his education. He describes his childhood on his family's farm and his earliest memories of being around horses. He says that he started showing horses when he was five years old and he talks about the different horses that they had, including Mountain horses. He says that he was in charge of riding many of the horses for his grandfather, H.T. Derickson.

Keywords: Childhood; Farms; Horse riding; Horse shows

Subjects: Childhood; Horse industry; Horse-shows.; Horses

Partial Transcript: Let's, let's back up a little bit here and tell me, um, about your parents.

Segment Synopsis: Tipton describes his parents and their roles on the farm. His mother was named Vera Patterson, the daughter of H.T. Derickson, and his father died when he was nine. His mother remarried to Larry Patterson when he was eleven. He says that he has two brothers, one older and one younger. He describes each of them.

Keywords: Brothers; Family; Fathers; Marriage; Mothers; Siblings

Subjects: Families

Partial Transcript: Well, you said when you first came, when--well, when you were a child coming to the farm, you had the Tennessee Walking horses.

Segment Synopsis: Tipton discusses the types of horses that were on the farm while he was growing up. He says that they had Tennessee Walking horses at first and they then acquired more Mountain horses. He says that they have all three breeds of Mountain horses on his farm. He differentiates the different breeds of Mountain horses: Mountain Pleasure horses, Rocky Mountain horses, and Kentucky Mountain horses. He also discusses the different horse registries.

Keywords: Horse registries; Rocky Mountain Horses; Tennessee Walker Horses; Tennessee Walking horses

Subjects: Childhood; Farms; Horses

Partial Transcript: Now tell me a little bit more about how the farm operates.

Segment Synopsis: Tipton discusses the daily operations of the horse farm. He says that they have 90 stalls on the farms and that they stay full all year. He says they pay two men just to feed the horses and clean stalls. He says that the also pay seven guys to ride the horses every day. They also show horses from the spring to the fall, as well as going to clinics.

Keywords: Farms; Horse farms; Horse shows

Subjects: Horse farms; Horse-shows; Horses

Partial Transcript: Now training the horses, I assume there's other things you could be doing with them besides emphasizing training, but that seems to be the--what you have--what you focus on?

Segment Synopsis: Tipton discusses horse training and horse-shows and how they are a large part of what they do on the farm. He describes the horse-shows that they travel to and how they operate, as well as their locations. He discusses his success at horse shows and his family's involvement.

Keywords: Horse farms; Horse shows

Subjects: Horse farms; Horse training; Horse-shows; Horses; Horses--Training.

Partial Transcript: Are you involved also in the breeding part of the farming, or?

Segment Synopsis: Tipton discusses breeding on the horse farm. He says that he used to be in charge of the breeding but as he has grown older he has passed off that responsibility to his younger brother named Stanley. He also discusses his family, including his wife, son, and his daughter. He discusses his children's activities and interests, including horses.

Keywords: Brothers; Children; Daughters; Family; Farms; Horse breeding; Horse farms; Horses; Sons; Wives

Subjects: Families.; Farms; Horse breeding; Horse farms; Horses

Partial Transcript: Um, Mountain horses now seem to be the life-blood of this farm.

Segment Synopsis: Tipton discusses the future of Mountain horses and Mountain horse farming. He says that the industry has its ups and downs. He also describes how horse sales are their most profitable part of their business. He says that although he wishes that it paid more money, he cannot think of any better life for his children to grow up in.

Keywords: Finance; Horse farms; Horse industry; Horses; Mountain horses

Subjects: Horse farms; Horses; Mountain horses

Partial Transcript: Um, there was one other question and it's, it's escaped me now.

Segment Synopsis: Tipton discusses Anterior segment dysgenesis in the Mountain horse breeds. He describes the cause and the symptoms. He says that it is a deformity of the eye which causes the horse to not see very well. He also discusses breeding horses with ASD.

Keywords: Anterior segment dysgenesis (ASD); Farms; Horse breeding; Horse farms; Horses; Mountain horses

Subjects: Anterior segment dysgenesis; Farms; Horse breeding; Horse farms; Horses; Mountain horses

Partial Transcript: Do you have some favorite horses?

Segment Synopsis: Tipton discusses his favorite horses on the farm. He says that he has many favorite horses and not just one. He says that he always likes to have a new horse. He describes two of his favorite horses, Chocolate Adventure and Choc'o'Doc.

Keywords: Farms; Horse farms; Horses

Subjects: Farms; Horse farms; Horses

Partial Transcript: Something else about the horses that, you know, I'm, I'm finding interesting is caring for the horses.

Segment Synopsis: Tipton describes treatment and care for the horses on the farm. He says that they do not call veterinarians unless it is serious. They also do all the breeding themselves.

Keywords: Farms; Horse farms

Subjects: Horses; Horses--Breeding; Veterinarians; Veterinary medicine