(Plummer family enjoying their first Sorting competition December 2024)
I came across something fascinating the other day—something that completely changed how I think about competition in the horse industry. In an old-growth forest, there can be and usually is a variety of tree species. Fir, pine, Aspen, maple, and oak, to name some. All competing for the precious resources of space, water and sunlight. Or are they?
Botanists (plant scientists) have discovered something surprising—beneath the surface, trees aren’t actually competing at all. Instead, they’re working together, using underground networks of fungi called ‘mycorrhizae’ to share nutrients and resources. Turns out, even in nature, monopolies are bad. The different species of trees, working as a team to maximize the growth of the entire forest. Trees and fungi form underground partnerships called “mycorrhizae”, which connects the roots of diverse species to share resources such as carbon, water and nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen. This study pointed out the mistakes forest management has made over the years replanting a cleared section with one species of tree, which then grows in poorly compared to when a variety of species is planted. It turns out that even in nature, monopolies are bad.
This got me thinking—what if the Western performance horse industry worked more like a forest? What if we focused less on competing for every last mare, every last purse, every last advantage and more on creating an industry where everyone thrives? Let’s be honest, some folks out there think we’re in a cutthroat game, fighting for the same mares, the same money, and the same wins. But the reality? The people who thrive in this business are the ones who work together.
The Underground Network That Drives Success
If you ask most people, they’ll tell you the horse industry is built on competition.
• Stallion owners want more mares bred than the next guy.
• Trainers want their clients to win against their competition.
• Breeders want their foals to outsell everyone else’s.
But here’s the truth: nobody wins alone.
Just like those trees in the forest, the best in the business don’t just look out for themselves—they build strong relationships and create opportunities for others.
For SDP Buffalo Ranch, a stallion’s success isn’t just about how many mares he breeds—it’s about the network around him. If he’s in a program where breeders, trainers, and competitors support each other, he’s got a much better shot at producing winners.
Example? High Brow Cat. He didn’t just magically become the most successful sire in the history of AQHA. His owner made sure he got the right mares, worked with the right trainers, and built his legacy. Granted, he is a true marvel of prepotency like nothing I have ever seen, but the fact remains. Without that teamwork, he might have been just another stallion with potential.
As a stallion station, I see a very competitive market. There are so many quality stallions to choose from. I wish I could say that all the good ones are located at SDP, and you’d be crazy to like any others! That is silly. There are also many factors to choosing a stallion which are considered over and above the stallions themselves. I could write a whole book on that one topic alone.
Ray Kroc, the man behind McDonald’s, had a brutal take on competition: ‘If my competitor were drowning, I’d shove a hose down their throat.’ He built an empire with that mindset—but is that really the best way to build an industry?
My father used to talk about oligopolies—industries where a few big players dominate, but also coexist. Think Ford, Chevy, and Ram. Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi. Apple vs. Samsung. They compete, but also need each other. That’s why you always see gas stations clustered together, or why fast-food chains set up shop next to each other. It’s not an accident. It’s how industries grow together.
I see that every day at our breeding facility. A mare owner might have arrived, interested in breeding to Third Cutting or Boonified. Only to see Peptos Stylish Oak, High Brow CD and TR Dual Rey, they then decide that they also want to breed their other mares to those stallions. When one choice then becomes more.
How many times have you gone to the grocery store to buy milk, to then leave with milk, bread and eggs? Every time. Oligopoly is all around you, market forces working in conjunction with each other in supply, pricing, value.
I’ve seen firsthand through Legendary Stakes that competition isn’t about tearing each other down—it’s about lifting the whole industry up.
Legendary Stakes isn’t just another show—it’s a revolution. More money, more opportunities, and a bigger future for everyone. If you’re not in yet, you’re already behind.
Click here to learn more and get in the game.
In Legendary Stakes, we use the 14 largest disciplines in Western performance horse competition. These horses, riders, and breeders are all connected—whether they realize it or not.
Legendary Stakes isn’t about creating a single “winner.” It’s about raising the value of all horses involved.
• Instead of stallions fighting for the same mares, Legendary Stakes makes sure multiple sires get recognition.
• Instead of just the top 1% making money, more competitors have a chance to win.
• Instead of just a handful of people controlling the game, everyone who participates benefits.
• Multiple entry categories means multiple ways to win purses, leveraging one horse into five different entry categories per division at a single event. Enter as HORSE OWNER, RIDER, BREEDER, DAM OWNER and or SIRE OWNER.
It’s cooperation benefiting competition. And that builds a stronger industry.
Uniting the 14 Western performance horse disciplines into one annual competition, creates an environment and ability to scale purses to heights never dreamed. All made possible through a simple entry fee model and revolutionary technology platform to bring it all together.
Why “Winner-Takes-All” Thinking Weakens the Industry
Some folks love to believe that the only way to win is to dominate everyone else. But here’s what happens when an industry gets too focused on individual competition:
• Overbreeding the same stallions weakens bloodlines. Everyone chases the same “hot” sire, while other great genetics get overlooked. That’s a problem.
• Short-term thinking kills long-term success. People start making decisions based on what sells today instead of what builds champions tomorrow.
• Small breeders and owners get pushed out. If we don’t create a system that encourages participation at every level, the industry shrinks instead of grows.
A forest—where only one species dominates—is weaker and more vulnerable than a diverse one. The same applies to then horse world.
If we want this industry to grow and thrive, we’ve got to stop thinking like trees competing for sunlight and start acting like the underground network that connects them.
When we lift each other up, we create something bigger than just ourselves.
And that’s how champions—stallions, breeders, competitors, and businesses—are made.
