>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Photo/JOYCE OSTERLOH

Born and raised in Wallowa County, Vixen is building a legacy in the place she loves best, doing what she does best and feels most passionately about.

They have two young children and 30 head of horses on property with a stunning view of Hurricane Creek Canyon and the Wallowa Mountains. It doesn’t get any better than that.

The daughter of Monte and Sue Radford of Enterprise, Vixen spent her childhood and growing-up years on the back of a horse in Joseph Creek Canyon. She was crowned Chief Joseph Days Rodeo queen in 1990 and went on to obtain a degree in horse management at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany.

With a family loan she bought a stallion called Sonnys Bar Chex in 1995. Vixen said that event changed her life forever.

“We bought Chex and had no place to keep him. We had to make some decisions. We bought this place and there was nothing here. We eventually built the barn and a beautiful outdoor arena,” she says.

Vixen is definitely a local kid who has made it big. In 2007 she placed in the top 25 trainers in the Extreme Mustang Makeover, a competition that challenges a trainer to bring a wild, untouched mustang from ground zero to show-ready in 100 days. Vixen traveled to Reno to pick up the mustang named Chance in June and showed him in Fort Worth, Texas, in mid-September with national coverage.

In addition to the obvious challenges of this undertaking, Vixen performed in spite of a broken back received only three weeks before the event.

Last week she traveled to Albany for the Craig Cameron Extreme Cowboy (er…Cowgirl, according to Vixen’s custom T-shirts) Race where she is scheduled to compete with 35 other trainers, selected out of 200, with a horse she bred, raised and trained herself.

Vixen Barney's horse, Lady, side steps the barrels from left to right. - Photos/JOYCE OSTERLOH

“I have no clue what they’ll throw at us. I’ve just tried to prepare Lady for everything I can think of,” she said before leaving for the event.

The practice course Vixen designed consisted of walking through a shallow tank of water, moving balloons on the ground, a stiff cowhide to drag, jumps, mounting a pedestal, gates to open and close while mounted, flags flying, tires swinging randomly on a length of rope in Lady’s path, walking under a crackling blue tarp accompanied by pistol shots and crowd noise.

Riding a 6-year-old daughter of Chex, Lady Go Chex owned by Vixen’s friend and partner Midge Cleaver, she will compete April 3. The top four competitors in each heat will compete April 6.

What does a win in a competition like this mean for Vixen and Dun the Barney Way Horses?

Since the breeding and training are Vixen’s, this kind of publicity is a valuable marketing tool for her horses and her craft of training. Some of Vixen’s clients who own horses with similar bloodlines will be closely watching the competition as its outcome could affect the investments they’ve made.

“We are under a lot of pressure to do well. I’m thankful for the support of my family and friends who will be there with me,” Vixen says.

During the 13 years Vixen has been back in Wallowa County, she has won titles in barrel racing, western pleasure, reining and trail competitions on horses she has raised and trained as well as clients’ horses. She is a Pacific Northwest certified judge for 4-H and open shows.

Vixen has been offered training jobs all over Oregon and in various other states. She recently was able to ride with the Portland Mounted Police Unit and is working out the details on a contract to train horses and riders for that unit.

In 2006 she became a judge, trainer and clinician for Miss Rodeo Oregon, giving clinics and private lessons. She is an instructor of horsemanship at the Annual Miss Rodeo Oregon Queens and Crowns Clinic. Vixen is also a judge of rodeo court competitions throughout the Northwest.

Of all the services she offers, training horses is the most lucrative. Vixen works with no more than three horses at a time. Currently she has a 90-day waiting list. She is not interested in clients who ask her to “just ride” their horse; she enjoys ground training and building a partnership with the horse. The training fee of $650 for 30 days includes boarding.

Vixen and Lady give an impressive demonstration of balance, sure-footedness and trust between horse and rider. - Photos/JOYCE OSTERLOH

Regularly scheduled riding clinics are offered at the ranch near Joseph. Whether beginner or advanced, anyone can realize his or her horsemanship goals. Lessons are available in basic riding skills, gaming, trail and pleasure riding. Weekly lessons include a horse, tack and 1 to 1 1/2 hours of instruction for $135 a month. Riders learn skills from the ground up — from handling the horse, ground work, picking up feet and catching the horse to learning safety, balanced riding, horse and rider communication.           

“My philosophy is to tailor the training to fit the individual personalities of the rider and the horse. No two horses or people will have the same backgrounds, experience, skills or requirements. Lots of trainers can give you just the technical process to achieve a goal. That’s just the first part. Success is built through encouragement and positive learning experience,” she says.

In addition to lessons and riding clinics, Vixen offers family rodeos, trail rides and play days for kids on vacation in Wallowa County. Cattle drive retreats, horsemanship retreats and dream vacations for women, couples or kids are all offered at the ranch.

The ADD — Almost Dead Drillteam — captained by Vixen and peopled by mature riders, travels to regional parades and rodeos four to five times a year. The drill team was born because Vixen saw a need for an organization that would give some of her clients and their horses an opportunity to practice the skills they were learning.

Vixen Barney, horse trainer and breeder, mother, wife and  business owner, is more than the sum of her parts. She won the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce Red Carpet Award for customer service in 2007. The reason she won is not because she successfully marketed a horse and fulfilled the needs and wants of a customer. Just the opposite. Vixen convinced the mystery shopper that she was not prepared to care for, ride and take on the responsibility of the animal the shopper expressed an interest in.

“I just knew she was not ready for this horse and the experience would not be positive for her or the animal. I suggested she come out and learn more about the horse and maybe take lessons, then lease the horse and maybe then decide to buy it,” Vixen remembers. “To some people it’s all about the money. Not me. It’s about making the client happy. It’s about the product, the service.”

She recalls an 86-year-old client who bought a young, hot bred horse.

“I told him, ‘This horse is not ready for you.’ I’m kind of direct and it can put people off sometimes. But I prepare the horse for what the person is going to do with it. I raise and train horses for people who ride for enjoyment. I don’t train horses because it’s a job or because I can, but because I love it. I want people to enjoy their horse and love riding as much as I do.”