Mar 21, 2017
Tom Hagwood More Than Mustang Millionaire
Most people know Tom Hagwood because he won three straight events in Fort Worth including the Mustang Million. But, what many people may not know about Tom is how he came to his first BLM mustang. It was out of necessity. It was 2008 and the economy was in the dump. People weren't paying to have their horses trained. Tom Hagwood needed to work, but didn't have a horse. He picked up a little mustang from the BLM. After thirteen rides, he put the horse to work.
The horse not only impressed Tom, but he impressed others as well. When one of Tom's friends suggested he enter a mustang competition, Tom scoffed. But friends convinced him he was good enough to make some money at it and Tom gave it a try. In a classic story of rags to riches, Tom Hagwood won the Mustang Million on a horse named Merv.
I caught up with Tom at his ranch in Powell, Wyoming with his wife Arianne, and daughter Tommi Jean. We talked about the secrets to winning a mustang competition, horsemanship, and life in general. He also tells me how to perfect his signature turnaround.