Life is good for Farley McLendon.

With a thriving training operation in Glencoe, Oklahoma, nice horses like Whatza Matter, Extremely Custom, Al Southern Couture and Hot Dig It, to show along with great clients, these days she’s counting her blessings.

Since as far back as she can remember, McLendon has known she wanted to train horses for a living, even though it was not what her parents wanted for her.

I guess you could call it her destiny.

McLendon’s late grandfather, Harry Mullins, was a director emeritus for the Georgia Quarter Horse Association and her mother, Sharon, showed for years in Georgia, where McLendon grew up.

“I was on a horse before I was born,” she revealed. “My mom also helped form the National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) and I was named after multiple American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Champion Farley Barbera.

These days McLendon really has focused on Hunter Under Saddle classes in her own operation but ironically, it didn’t start out that way.

“My first experience with English (riding) came from a lady named Robin Landers,” she explained. “ Mom wanted me to experience more than just the Western Pleasure so off to English lessons I went …. kicking and screaming.”

She did try other things. She played soccer all of her youth and even after high school as she worked toward her Associate of Science degree in Biology at Gordon College in Georgia.

But the pull was too strong. By 2004 McLendon was married and moved to Texas, where she says she really learned a lot.

“I gave up my Non-Pro card and jumped right in,” she said. “I never really worked for anyone but learned a lot by watching, trying different things and developing my feel.”

McLendon earned her first Quarter Horse Congress Top 10 with This Cat Can in 2007. Two children later, McLendon divorced in 2015 and started her own operation in Oklahoma in 2021.

“I’ve had to pay a lot of dues and work hard to get to where I am,” she admitted. “I also learned a lot being around the Reiners and cow horse guys. A broke horse is a broke horse!”

McLendon’s operation in Glencoe includes 15 stalls in a barn situated on 70 acres of pastures, filled with cattle where she can ride; a small covered arena and a walker.

“I keep my group small so I can give the babies the time they need,” she explained. “I have a great set of amazing clients and recently hired Michaela Darroh, my former youth kid, as my assistant. It been great having another set of eyes.”

McLendon specializes in the preparation of Hunter Under Saddle contenders and showing young futurity horses and she knows exactly what she likes.

“The perfect Hunter Under Saddle horse has to have heart, be trainable and love their job,” she explained. “Good conformation, good bone, a strong back and hock are a must and this horse can trot and canter with ease.”

While McLendon leans toward the Hunter Under Saddle contender, she has also trained and exhibited Western Pleasure horses as well and she also enjoys coaching Youth and  Non-Pro competitors.

“I really like riding prospects from the beginning too because you get to know their personalities quickly,” she said. “I strive to make broke, non-complicated horses and I love it when the horses figure out what you’re teaching them and are enjoying their jobs.”

Team McLendon is already off to a great start for 2023 and her goal is to keep that going through the AQHA World Show in November. Some of her major contenders include:

Whatz A Matter, a 2020 sorrel gelding sired by What Matters Most and out of Dont Toot My Horns. “Wallace’ was bred by Hedy Levin and is owned by Holly Taylor, of Pinckney, Michigan.

“We really liked his movement and especially his topline,” Taylor said.

Wallace will make his debut in the new 3-Year-Old Maiden Hunter Under Saddle class at the Premier in May and then will be shown in Open 3-Year-Old events throughout the year.

“I started him slow January his 2-year-old year since he is a May baby,” McLendon explained. “He is a really good trotter with eye appeal.”

Taylor does not plan to show him but instead enjoys buying and selling prospects with McLendon’s help.

“Farley is hard working and puts the best interest of her horses first,” Taylor said. “I’ve had several horses with her over the past six years. I really like that all the horses get turned out, trail ridden and exposed to cattle and other disciplines.  There’s nothing like a Reiner flying by your 2-year-old.”

Extremely Custom, a 2021 AQHA sorrel gelding, sired by Extremely Hot Chips and out of A Secret Impulse. “Kevin” was bred by Terry Bradshaw Quarter Horses and is owned by Rebecca Edward, of Billings, Montana.

“I happened upon Kevin when I called (Terry Bradshaw Quarter Horses) about breeding Miss Allocations to Extremely Hot Chips,” McLendon explained. “I told them I had Hot Dig It and really liked him and wanted to try and replicate that. While on the phone Scott Weiss told me he had one there that he wanted me to look at so off I went and Kevin came into the barn at the end of January. Becki likes doubles so he was right up her alley.”

McLendon said Kevin is super sweet and very laid back.

“He has a wicked front leg and likes to please,” she said. “He makes it fun for me.”

McLendon plans to show Kevin in the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Green Hunter Under Saddle at the Premier in May and then in the 2-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle at the APHA World Show, followed by other 2-Year-Old classes throughout the year.

Hopefully, Edward will also get a chance to show Kevin in Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle classes as well.

Al Southern Couture, a 2019 AQHA gray gelding, sired By It’s a Southern Thing and out of All About Couture. “Fynn” was bred by Debbie Hodde and is owned by Amanda Nicole Smith, of Manilus, New York.Fynn placed third in the Level 2 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle with Smith in the irons and in the Top 10 in Level 1 Hunter Under Saddle. He was Circuit Champion in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle at the 2023 Prairie Classic and at the March To The Arch. He and Smith placed third in the Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle at the Virginia Maiden Circuit/Spring Breakout this year.

“Fynn came to me last October,” McLendon explained. “He’s a funny dude that loves his treats. He has a lot of eye appeal and rail presence. He’s a cool trotter and wants to canter around easy. He’s been easy to work with and gets better and better.”

He will be at all the majors this year and will be shown by Smith in Non-Pro and by McLendon and/or Darroh in Open classes.

“Fynn is literally the sweetest boy,” Smith said. “He is a gentle giant. He tries so hard and he makes me so proud. Now that I have Fynn and Farley in my life, my main goal is to have fun, but I would love to bring home a trophy from a major show. With the guidance of Farley, we are already off to a good start. We have already come home with multiple circuit championships and top placings.”

Smith says even though she has only been working with McLendon for a short time, she has already taught her so much.

“Horse shows are enjoyable under her guidance,” she said. “I look forward and get excited for each upcoming horse show. She takes amazing care of my horses and I know they are healthy, happy and performing at their best.”

Hot Dig It, a 2020 AQHA bay gelding, sired By Extremely Hot Chips and out of Natural Artifact. “Stretch” was bred by Melissa Meeks and is owned by Rebecca Edward, of Billings, Montana.

Stretch earned a Reserve Congress Championship in Hunter Longe Line and got to McLendon in October through fellow trainer Beckey Schooler.

“He is a great trotter and has a great hock at the canter,” McLendon said. “ He is very pretty and has a lot of presence. He won’t be 3 until May so I’ve tried to let him mature and finish him at the same time.”

Stretch placed third in the $50,000 Added 3-Year-Old & Over Hunter Under Saddle at the March To The Arch with McLendon in the irons, taking home a check for $4,666.67 and he finished Reserve in the Super Sires portion of the class. At the Virginia Spring Breakout Circuit Stretch and McLendon were Reserve Champions in the Novice Horse Hunter Under Saddle and earned Level 1 Hunter Under Saddle Circuit Championship at the Prairie Classic and Junior Hunter Under Saddle Circuit Championship at the Texas Festival. To date, he had over $8,000 in total earnings.

“He’s a funny one too, he is bold but also reclusive,” McLendon said. “He totally gives you the little boy getting in trouble look.”

Stretch will be shown at all the major futurities through the AQHA World Show and Edward will also begin to show him in Non-Pro classes.

“He’s a horse I can see keeping and adding classes after futurities, like Equitation and maybe even Trail because he’s got such rhythm to his lope,” Edward said. “I love him that much!  I have to have surgery the middle of May so unfortunately I won’t be able to show him until probably NSBA which is killing me!  But then I plan to do NSBA, Congress, anything else we can find to make up for me getting such a late start on personally getting to show him.”

Edward says she thinks McLendon is great to work with as a trainer.

“I had never even personally met her until The Premier last year,” she explained. “I had bought two horses with/through her and she had been riding them since December but we didn’t meet until Kentucky and it was seamless from day one.  She has the horses so prepared and ready that it’s really easy to get on and show behind her. I’ve done well with her coaching style.”

Hard work has always been at the core of McLendon’s training philosophy.

“Broke is broke,” she said. “Exposing the babies to as much as I can helps me with my job. My end goal is always the same but each horse has a personality so I might have to go different routes to get to the goal.”

It’s a philosophy that’s served her well as she has trained or shown numerous successful show horses including:

• Sleep Alilbit Longer – Quarter Horse Congress Champion,  AQHA Reserve World Champion, NSBA World Champion, Tom Powers Triple Crown winner

• Vinn Diesel – Congress Champion

• Kruze Control – Reserve Quarter Horse Congress Champion

• Im Always Sleepy – Congress Champion, Reserve Level 2 Amateur Select World Champion

• Best Be Sleepin In – Congress Champion

McLendon also trained: Last One Matters, Made To Sleep, Lucky To Sleep, Al Be Bleu, PSU Only The Blues, Daydream In The Sky, Cruzin For Cocktails, This Cat Can, Aabit Arrayed and SWF Crystal Story.

“Each of these all have their own personalities and quirks,” she said. “Finding what works for them and keeping them happy makes me happy.”           

In addition to training very successful show horses, McLendon has also coached several Non-Pro winners at the Quarter Horse Congress and NSBA World Show.

She says her greatest achievement, however, was earning a Reserve AQHA World Championship in Junior Hunter Under Saddle riding Sleep Alilbit Longer.

“God put that horse in my life to show me when to get out of the way and to show,” she explained. “He taught me to trust my instincts. I was a total underdog on a great horse. Never in a million years did I think I would ever have that opportunity. It still makes me cry to think about it. That horse gave me his heart. I was also able to take him to the Tom Powers Triple Crown win. Not many horses have been able to achieve that but we did it.”

McLendon says there is absolutely no way she could have such a successful career without her support team, which includes her daughter, Ellie Mae, 14; son, Cross, 9; her fiancé, Joe Sibert; and her parents, Mike and Sharon.

“I could not do what I do without my family, fiancé and great clients,” McLendon said. “It’s the genuine, honest people who you surround yourself with that is most important.