Still Growing, Always Changing
Magazine article from the Weatherford Now … Original post at link
http//nowmagazines.com/onlineeditions/editions/212weatherford.pdfNine years ago, Tom and Traci Davis sold their cattle and left the Pacific Northwest, taking the name TNT Ranch with them. They were spurred by a dream to do more with horses, and Texas was calling their names.
Tom and Traci are true “horse people.” They grew up with horses, earn their living with horses, and when they’re not working, they ride for fun. “I took my first ride at age 5,” Tom grinned. “There were seven kids in my family,
and by age 8, I was working cattle. At 13, I was shipped to Wyoming to work on a ranch near Jackson Hole. I started my first colt at 10 and have been paid to work horses since I was 14.” He grew up in Washington and Oregon with roots in Texas. “My dad lived here before moving to Oregon, and my grandfather, uncle and cousins are all Texans. When I was 21, I worked for a cutting horse trainer in Weatherford.”
Traci comes from a smaller family. “My brother and I were raised at the rodeo grounds in Washington State,” she said. “We farmed and ran over 1,200 head of cattle. It was a full-time job for the whole family.” Had it not been for their love of horses, Tom and Traci might never have met. “In 1999, I came off of a filly and broke my back,” Tom said. “I was laid up at my mother’s house in Washington.” Traci and her daughter, Laurel, lived up
the road from Tom’s mother. Traci had lost her husband in a car accident. “A friend introduced us,” Tom said. “We drove to the stock show in Denver with some friends. We hit it off and have been together ever since.”
They arrived in Texas nine years ago, after welcoming the birth of their daughter, Taylor, while still in Washington. Initially, they lived in a small town named Okra. Then they spent two years in Goldthwaite. “We wanted to settle in Weatherford,” Traci said. “We were looking for a place when we heard about a house and barn on 12 acres in Brock, just southwest of Weatherford.” The tree-covered acreage soon became the new TNT Ranch. The family moved in a little over a year ago, just in time to prepare for the arrival of Reata, their third daughter. “It’s so quiet out here,” Traci said. “There’s hardly any traffic. The house is set off the road and is very private. The sunsets are beautiful from our front porch, and I love the fact that we have 34 pecan trees.” A winding path leads slightly uphill to the 1,750-square-foot, white, country house with its large open porch. The spacious yard, dotted with pecan trees, is bordered in the front by a barn and to the right by a metal garage that doubles as a leather shop. A six-horse trailer clearly says the property belongs to horse people. “This is a working ranch,” Traci smiled, “and a work in progress.” “Our plan is to put four stalls in the barn and, then, add four more stalls plus sheds,” Tom said. “I
do a lot of horsemanship clinics and, by next summer, we want to have clinics here.”
The home includes two living areas, four bedrooms, two baths, dining room, laundry room and a huge, bright kitchen. Except for the bedrooms, the floors are covered in light-colored tile. The central living area and dining room open to each other, and natural light flows throughout the house. “I would describe our style as Western eclectic,” Traci said. “We like the ‘buckaroo’ look. Buckaroos are original cowboys from the Vaquero tradition. We like earth tones and a lot of wood, leather and Western fabric.” The large master bedroom features sloped ceiling and master bath. “We plan to knock out a wall and add a new master bedroom, bath and sitting room,”
Traci explained. “When that happens, our bedroom will become the guest room.” “One of our friends is a carpenter,” Tom said. “I’m good at horsemanship, but if we want to live in our house, I better not work on it. So he will be handling the construction.” The heart of the Davis’ home is its big, airy kitchen with white cabinetry, black accents and lots of light.
Everything about it is cheerful, especially the colorful quilts neatly folded and stacked on tall deep shelves lining the interior wall. “I collect quilts,” Traci said. “I’ve always liked the history behind them, and I’ve also made many of them.” In addition to the quilts in the kitchen, more are stored in a massive armoire in the dining room. “We don’t use any of the quilts in the collection,” Traci said. “To me, they are works of art and pieces of history.”
Tom and Traci are members of the Cow Camp Cowboy Church and good friends with the pastor and his wife. “We didn’t know anyone when we moved out here,” Traci said. “We’ve met so many people through the church and, of course, through horses. I sell hay and horses and, like Tom, I’m very active in the horse community.” She is also active on the Internet. “I’ve created Web sites for both of our businesses,” she said. In addition to being a mother of three daughters and running her own business, Traci maintains the two busy Web sites,
plus social media. “I also have a fitness team,” she smiled. “We do charity events and, as moms, it’s a way for
us to giveback and stay in shape.”
At 15, Laurel is a sophomore in high school, and 9-year-old Taylor is in the third grade. Like their parents, they love to ride. “We have nine horses,” Traci said. “Laurel and Taylor ride almost every day, and they both like to show. Tom competes in cutting, working cows and ranch roping. I guess it could be said that Reata rides too, since I placed second in a sorting competition when I was about six-months pregnant.” On that occasion, she was riding Tom’s favorite horse, Hank. “Hank is 9 years old now. He’s a quarter horse, who was sent to Tom for
training as a 2-year-old,” Traci explained. “The owners are our friends, and when they saw how well Hank and Tom got along, they gave him to Tom as a gift.” Life these days at the TNT Ranch includes Chico the Chihuahua, Sadie the Boston Terrier, Mick the Border Collie and Tag the American Bulldog. It’s a working ranch and a work in progress — and nine horses, four dogs, three daughters and two parents later, the TNT Ranch
is still growing and always changing.
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