Tales from the Heartland: Never Bet Against Clinton Anderson

Clinton Anderson is one of the most well-known clinicians, horse trainers and competitors in the equine industry. He moved from Australia to the U.S. in 1997 and started Downunder Horsemanship and his renowned horsemanship method. In 2003 and 2005, Clinton faced the country’s best horse trainers and clinicians in the prestigious Road to the Horse, an event that challenges trainers to gentle and ride an untouched horse in less than three hours. Clinton became the first person to win the event twice in a row. His credentials and accolades could fill a book and he is a key influence with horse owners worldwide. He also has been a valued partner with Ritchie for over 15 years.

“When I moved to Sterling, Illinois to work at the former Wahl Equestrian Center I noticed all these Ritchie red and yellow waterers at the center,” said Anderson. “I noticed that these waterers were at least 15 years old and they were in great working condition. I started paying attention to other farms and stables and noticed Ritchie everywhere. I had not heard of the brand before, and I tracked down their information and reached out directly to Ritchie Industries in Iowa. We struck up a relationship. I told Leon (Yantis) the CEO, if you sponsor me for one year at a cost of $50,000 and I put you on TV with my Downunder Horsemanship show and you don’t believe you got your money’s worth, I’ll give you the money back, no questions asked. Leon said he couldn’t ask for anything better than that and we shook hands on it. After one year, I asked Leon if he wanted his money back. He said, ‘heck no, sales are going great and I want to continue to move forward with you’. So, over the past 15 years, Ritchie waterers began to dominate waterer sales in the equine industry and the Classic Equine by Ritchie is now the premium waterer series on the market.

I have built three ranches in my career – one in Ohio, Texas, and now Arkansas, and every time, I only put in Ritchie waterers – they are dependable and durable.

Ritchie Industries is a very unique company. They are employee-owned and everyone at Ritchie has a vested interest in the success of the company and that comes through in their work. They take pride in producing a great product. Even though Ritchie has been around for 100 years and is known for their classic design, they always keep their finger on the pulse of the livestock and equine industries. Ritchie adjusts to what the industry needs or wants. Ritchie is and will always be an innovative leader committed to producing a quality product that meets or exceeds your expectations.”