Lowry Stables News
Adult Camp Spring 2012
We are planning an Adult Camp this spring, Dates forthcoming, please give us some feedback!
Horse Sales
Congratulations to:
Cathy Schueler on the purchase of Stonecroft Night Light
Marcia Sola and Laurie Servin on the purchase of Doubletree's Very Fancy
Dwayne Kindekinnick and Tom Fiedler on the purchase of Cat Can Do
Darlene Mannix on the purchase of Quite Delightful
Elizabeth Ghareeb on the purchase of Golden Market, Bret Day agent
Lowry Stables Fun Horse Show Photos
View the full album by Ebby L Photography online
Richard Lavery Professional Horsemen’s Award
Jim and Fay Lowry
Courtesy of Saddle Horse Report • January 17, 2011
(Editor’s Note: Priscilla Marconi gave the following presentation at the Saturday evening awards gala for her friends and trainers Jim and Fay Lowry.)
- Incoming president Bret Day honored
Jim and Fay Lowry with the Richard Lavery
Professional’s Horsemen’s Award
during the Saturday evening Award’s Gala.
It’s a frustrating thing to stare at a blank page when a hundred thoughts, images and stories come to mind about tonight’s UPHA Richard Lavery Professional Horseman of the Year Award recipients. Where does one begin to tell the tale of a wonderful success story, woven together with threads of hard work, anguish, blood, sweat, tears, triumph, glee, and all those things that go in to making a formidable training combination?
In some ways, it’s too bad that this isn’t Roast Jim Lowry Night, because there are many of you in the audience who would delight in coming up here to tell your favorite story about Jim. Side note: beware all those who innocently give Jim their home phone numbers, for he has been known to make many a midnight call, just to see what you’re doing. It would be more difficult to roast Fay and perhaps for that reason, we’ll stick to the professional side of this story. So let me tell it as if we were reading a book.
Chapter 1: In The Beginning
Jim Lowry was born on February 23, 1965. That means he’s coming up on 46 for all of you who are trying to calculate how old he is. He was born in Indianapolis and is the second child of four children.
Fay was born in North Dakota, and has two great big brothers. She spent part of her growing up years in South Carolina and is a great tour guide during the show in Clemson, as it is her old stomping grounds.
Chapter 2: The Early Years
In the 80s, Jim went to work for Larry Bolen of Cedar Creek Farm. Larry was a big influence on Jim and it was on his 21st birthday that Larry strung Jim up by his ankles in the middle of the barn, hanging upside down, left to cleverly figure out how to free himself. All of the employees strolled by and gave Jim the deserved 21 whacks on the backside and then left him dangling. Perhaps this explains some things about Jim.
Jim and Fay met during the New England Morgan Horse Show in 1986. They were stabled next to each other and struck up a conversation. After the show ended they began a long distance romance. He stayed in Ohio and Fay continued working for Mike & Barrie Tunstall.
Chapter 3: The Process of Growth
So the sequence of becoming Lowry Stables goes something like this: From Cedar Creek Farm, Jim went to Up Hyre Farm and worked for Jack Boyd Smith. From there, Jim started a barn with friend and fellow horseman, John Hufferd and they called it Triumph Stables. After that, along came Apple Flat Farm where Jim & Fay had the opportunity to work with Morgan greats such as Topa’s Krystal, Cedar Creek Harlequin and Carlyle Ten. Oh, and by the way, they got married long about this time. Shingle Branch Farm in Alabama was their next stop, and then to Triple Creek Farm in Sheridan, Indiana, where the Lowry Stables banner was born.
In April of 2000, Jim and Fay moved to Seymour, Illinois. The stable is situated on 31 acres and is surrounded by corn fields. Fay was somewhat skeptical to move into the middle of a corn field, famous for regular tornadoes. But they have enjoyed 10 fabulous and successful years in Seymour and have accumulated many world championships in both the Morgan and Saddlebred worlds.
Chapter 4: The Fay Factor
Fay has many Morgan and Saddlebred titles of her own and lends a continual hand in all aspects of the Lowry Stables business. She is a long suffering wife who could probably go on a game show in which she could easily predict what her husband is about to say, or what story he is about to tell. She is quick to laugh at Jim’s ever present wit, and at the same time, has the courage to be the all important critical eye for changes she thinks need to be made with a horse.
For those of you who are partners in business and live in the same house know, it is not an easy road you’ve chosen. There are times of high anxiety, customer drama, sickness, bills to be paid, decisions to be made, all of which can, and do cause periodic short tempers. Fay and Jim are a tribute to a respectful, loving and enduring partnership and are to be greatly admired for their determination to have a healthy relationship, a valued family structure, and a fun, challenging, growing business with their customers.
Chapter 5: The Children
The Lowrys have two lovely and extraordinary daughters, Ebby and Audrey. I have had the privilege of observing their parenting style. It is clear that they have encouraged their daughters to be diligent, hard working, disciplined and passionate about what they strive to achieve. Ebby is a Freshman at the University of Illinois, maintaining top scores, and Audrey is a Sophomore in high school where she is on the cheerleading squad and participates in a variety of sports activities. Both girls have won their own world championship titles in Oklahoma as well as Louisville.
Chapter 6: Which Brings Us To Present
It’s been a big year for Lowry Stables. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers, one of the things he attributes to successful people is that they put a solid 10,000 hours worth of training and education into their passion, in order to be extraordinary in their field. Jim and Fay have demonstrated this and more. It is the paramount of success to win one of the Big 3 in Louisville and in less than six weeks, load up the van with top quality Morgan stock and win the 3 year old English Pleasure stake, the 3 year old Park Saddle Stake, and go reserve in the World Championship Open Park Saddle Stake with that same 3 year old.
I stand before you, privileged to present this award. Jim says to all of his clients before they show, “Are you ready?” And so, as a representative of Lowry Stables and on behalf of the committee who chose them, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage to accept the UPHA Richard Lavery Professional Horseman’s Award, Jim and Fay Lowry.