Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Sansone.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Joe Sansone and I am the owner of RoseMary Horse Ranch and Ranch Sorting of America. In 2011 I sold my medical business after a very successful career and retired at the age of 49. Now with a previously rare abundance of free time, I decided to keep a promise he had previously made to my two young daughters. Both of my daughters had a passion for riding horses, but I had only ridden a horse once when he was younger. As a single father, I had promised his girls when I had time, I would try riding horses with them some day. So, at the age of 49, I traded in my CEO suit and tie and donned a cowboy hat and pair of cowboy boots and hopped on a horse for the second time in my life and began what would become my second career.
I fell in love with everything horses! I discovered a great new way to spend quality time with my two daughters, Mary and Rose. My daughters quickly took on the role of instructor and taught me the basics of horseback riding – and I needed it. Learning a completely new sport didn’t come easy, and I wasn’t very good at the beginning. The next several years saw my passion for horses and the equine sport of Ranch Sorting explode and my daughters and I quickly embraced the equine lifestyle. We were on the road almost every weekend, I’d pack up the horse trailer and load up the horses and pick the girls up at school and we’d be off for the weekend. The best part is that we were able to compete together with each other in teams. We won many buckles and even saddles together.
After competing with my 2 daughters for several years I learned a lot about horseback riding and bought Rosemary Horse Ranch. But I saw that something was missing in the Ranch Sorting competitions I was attending. Newcomers that were inexperienced in the equine sport just didn’t have a place to go and I saw these new riders become disenchanted and then quit riding. So out of necessity I began offering horseback riding lessons to these beginner riders through the Ranch Sorting School at RoseMary Horse Ranch. I also decided to try my hand at hosting a Ranch Sorting horse show, making the rules and atmosphere a little more beginner and family friendly. And wow – it exploded. We rode our horses and competed until 3:00am in the morning that weekend. It seemed that there was a need for a Ranch Sorting association that was a little more beginner and family friendly.
And thus began Ranch Sorting of America. Since that day we have hosted Ranch Sorting horse shows in 5 different states and now boast over 5,000 members. Since that time, I have personally trained dozens of new riders and their horses and have produced several state and even world champions. Even though I have since won 9 World Championships, I am the proudest of the youth that I have introduced to horseback riding and have seen grow and become prolific in this sport. It is incredibly rewarding to meet a shy young girl that thinks she might enjoy riding horses, and lead her through the process of becoming a confident world champion rider. I have seen how horses can bring children and adults of all types, out of their shells, help them mature and become successful winning riders.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As you can imagine the cowboy world is a rather “old boys” type of club. For a new rider that didn’t even own a pair of cowboy boots to become a trainer after just 7 years is almost unheard of and many in the industry were quite dubious of my abilities. But I had something new to offer beginner riders. You see, just 7 years ago, i was in their shoes. Many trainers tend to become frustrated with beginners. The newer riders don’t understand the industry lingo, and as a beginner rider, new instructions can prove difficult. But since I was recently a new rider, I was able to relate to these students and instruct them in a way that they could understand.
Also to begin a new Ranch Sorting Association has proven to be a difficult task. As you may imagine, Texas is the home to many of the largest and most well-known producers in the country. As a new association we had to revolutionize the industry offer new and different aspects to the tried-and-true methods the rest of the country had used. I feel like for a mostly local Texas association we have impacted the Ranch Sorting sport in a large way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
If you have never ridden horses before or if you have ridden and want to try Ranch Sorting, then we can help you get started at Rosemary Horse Ranch. We are one of the closest ranches to Houston and have cattle and lesson horses available for riders of all skill levels.
We also offer Cowboy for a Day rides for individuals and families and these have become quite popular for tourists from all over the country. In fact, we have hosted riders from 6 different countries. This ride is quite popular with those that have never ridden a horse before. Riders are able to get a quick tutorial on horseback riding, taught several maneuvers on the horse, and then they set out with our wranglers to roam the pastures, take their horses over a few obstacles, and bring in the herd of cattle. When the students have wrangled the herd into the arena, the new riders are then taught how to sort cattle. It’s a really fun time and beginners are always shocked at how much they are able to learn and accomplish on their horse. Riders are also able to pet RoseMary Horse Ranch’s mascot the massive Shrek the longhorn. The cowboy for a day also includes 2 social media videos of the riders’ accomplishments to keep as a memory of when they became a cowboy.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Throughout my years of professional experience, I have achieved several accomplishments. My medical company was an Inc 500 company, named #1 on the best companies to work in Houston on 5 occasions, and I have received several
awards as a business owner. While starting a medical business and achieving acclaim and success was rewarding, I am much more proud of my achievements riding horses.
As a new rider I did not have the benefit of years of horseback riding like most riders. Although I took lessons from several great professionals, I have developed my own way of riding and teaching riders that is truly unique. So it may appear shocking to others that while I am proud of my past achievements, I am most proud of the achievements in the equine industry. And how well my students and horses perform is what makes me the proudest.
I must also recognize the importance of family in the equine business. It was my 2 young daughters that got me started in the horse industry, and I have never looked back. Because of horses I have spent hundreds of weekends together with my daughters, and thousands of hours riding horses together. My fondest memories in life are those that I spent with my two daughters on horseback.
Pricing:
- Inroduction to Ranch Sorting $150
- Cowboy for a day (2 hours) $250
- Beginner Horseback Riding lesson $100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ranchsortinglessons.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/?hl=en#reactivated
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RanchSortingOfAmerica
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ranchsortingofamerica?_t=ZP-8zvD1HIDVol&_r=1
