Last October, Doug Clark says he knew it was time to make a change to his horses' nutrition program. He just wasn't sure what change to make. "Either the horses were too dull, or they were running too hot," recalls Clark, a champion steer roper and nationally known AQHA horse trainer, based in Wayne, Okla. "I could just tell the sweet feeds and oats weren't doing the job I needed to have done." While Clark was studying his options, Diamond V Mills was considering the idea of sponsoring a professional cowboy. "We wanted someone nationally known and respected in the equine industry, who in turn, could speak well of our products based on their first-hand experience," explains Paul Kropp, business development manager for equine and specialty feeds for the company. Kropp and Clark talked on various occasions, and Clark agreed to place his horses on feed including the Diamond V Mills XP™ Yeast Culture. Six months later, Clark says his horses have never looked or worked better. In turn, Diamond V Mills signed on to co-sponsor Clark, along with Cargill Animal Nutrition, at select AQHA and PRCA events this year. Kropp explains the sponsorship at select events provides Clark with additional operating funds while increasing the exposure for Diamond V Mills' products. "Doug competes at some of the premiere events in the country, so a lot of people will see him wearing our company logo," Kropp says. "I'm confident that his success with our product will encourage other people to give it a try, because they value his opinion and the commitment he has to his horses. We're excited to be working with him." A full-time, professional cowboy, Clark trains AQHA calf roping and steer roping (tripping) horses at his ranch located 35 miles south of Oklahoma City, along with his wife, Linda, and their 11-year-old daughter, Darcy. Clark is a regular contender at the AQHA World Show and the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), and he's won numerous steer-roping titles. Plus, Clark has had three horses nominated for the AQHA/PRCA Horse-of-the-Year awards. To date, Clark has placed every horse in his barn--22 total--on a premium quality, grain-based feed containing the XP Yeast Culture. He also feeds high-quality alfalfa hay. "All of the horses look better, and they have more of a gloss to their coats," Clark notes. "They're quieter overall with good attitudes, and they're more even keeled." He points to the transformation made by one 11-year old barrel and calf-roping gelding he recently bought. "In just three weeks, he improved 100 percent, which I attribute to the yeast culture," Clark says. "He was high-strung and underweight when I bought him, but now he's filling out and he's real steady." While the yeast culture is geared toward use with performance horses and young stock, Clark says even his older horses, one 19 and the other 20, have benefited from the change in feed. Clark adds that he showed hard this past winter, with a grinding schedule that demanded both his best efforts and that from each horse. "We've got a full barn with a lot of junior horses trying to get qualified in calf roping, so that's keeping us really busy," Clark says. "Some of my clients don't care to learn much about nutrition, while others do want to understand what you're feeding their horses and why," He adds. "Good nutrition is something I believe is vital to our horses' ability to perform at competitive levels, and I enjoy talking with people and explaining why I believe our feeding program is the best. They can then see and evaluate the results for themselves."
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