"If you can see it in your mind, you can hold it in your hand."
MEET THE TEAM
Two generations, one passion, makes the best duo!
Belinda Bates
My love for horses started when I was in my early teens. My Dad bought me a trail horse named Dandy, which I enjoyed trail riding on.
My brother, Kelly, and meeting Sue Rogers in 1980 introduced me to barrel racing, which started my career in barrel racing and training horses. I had just gotten a new Colt named Stylish Velvet that we roped on that I started taking around the barrels and ended up taking to a Marilynn Camarillo clinic. Shortly after I entered my first barrel race at Walkers Arena in Mira Loma and we won it. What a thrill indeed. Leading to me getting my WPRA card and rodeo on Velvet for the next 6 years. Winning the Norco Rodeo and placing everywhere we went.
My life entered another phase in 1991, starting a family, staying close to home, and selling my great Horse Velvet, which led me to buy prospects train them and sell them. This led me to a chance to meet Ed and Martha Wright and an opportunity to host Ed's clinics where I was able to gain a wealth of knowledge in training, especially barrel horses. I finally was able to train another good horse and start going to local and regional barrel races over the next years.
In the last 4 years, I started thinking of giving back to this great sport, just not to my family but to others. After 15 years of Bates Barrel Horses with my Daughter Bliss, we opened a new phase of our company, training and giving barrel lessons to younger riders and amateur barrel enthusiasts. Four of my students ride horses I have trained and sold to them. They are all getting better and 1 winning The California high school Barrel Racing State Championship 2022 Parker Asam.
Today I am continuing to ride, in fact, just won another barrel race at CRC last week. The thrill is not gone. However, helping others in this great sport is where I find myself today.
Bliss Wells
My name is Bliss and I have been training and selling horses for 20 years. I started competing in Junior Rodeos at 4 years old then went on to do High School Rodeo and when I turned 18 I bought my WPRA Permit and filled it that same year. Both my parents were horsemen so I would say that definitely gave me an advantage. I grew up doing all the events and qualified to the Junior Rodeo Finals in all my events every year from age 4 to age 18 my last year. I also made it to the California High School Rodeo Finals in all my events including cutting all 4 years. My parents invested a lot into my career with horses. They hauled me to Ed & Martha Wright clinics and I rode in every clinic my mom hosted for Mr Wright. When I got a little older they started teaching me how to train my own horses and I fell in love with the process. I looked up to my parents a bunch and watching them make horses day in and day out was an incredible experience. We didn’t have the money to just go buy top notch finished horses so they would buy nice colts and take the time to make good horses that people fell in love with. And I knew right away that’s what I wanted to do. When I got my drivers license I went to work for Sue & Larry Rogers in Southern California. I learned a lot from them and got two horses from them that changed things for me. I will be forever grateful for what they have done for me. When my parents thought I was ready they let me start taking horses in for training. I would ride anything and everything people would send me. From starting colts to fixing blown up horses. I didn’t care. I loved working with them all. Then things shifted and I started giving lessons. Sharing with people all I’ve learned of my parents, Ed & Martha Wright, and the Rogers. My students accomplished some big titles including NBHA Super Shows, Junior NFR, KK Run For Vegas Qualifications and Average Titles, High School State Finals Qualifications and much more. I really enjoyed giving lessons and watching each person and horse make progress and accomplish goals they set out for. But I wanted to take my goals a little further and I knew Texas is where I needed to be in order to do so. My family and I moved here in 2020 and I left my clientele with my mom Belinda Bates. She has done an incredible job coaching our clients and fitting our horses to the most perfect riders. I’m so thankful for our little program and doing this with my mom and daughter. Since moving to Texas we have started our breeding program, my daughter has made it to the Texas Junior High State Finals 3 years and I’ve been blessed to have trained several competitive barrel horses for myself and clients. My mom and I are excited for this next chapter of raising, training, selling, and competing on colts from our program.
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At Bates Barrel Horses, our goal is to empower both horse and rider through personalized and dedicated training. As a mother-daughter duo, we are committed to creating an environment where trust and communication flourish, enabling each team to reach their full potential. We strive to:
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Foster Strong Partnerships:
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Cultivate a deep understanding and connection between horse and rider, ensuring a harmonious and effective collaboration.
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Enhance Skills and Confidence:
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Provide comprehensive training programs that build both technical skills and confidence, allowing our clients to excel in barrel racing.
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Encourage Lifelong Learning:
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Promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement, supporting riders of all experience levels in achieving their goals.
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Celebrate Success Together:
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Share in the joy of every achievement, big or small, as we work together to turn dreams into reality.