Here’s to Old Time Horse Traders

Old time horse traders are a dying breed. These are the ones who traded ALL kinds of horses – from a high dollar show horse to snides that weren’t fit for the killers. These guys knew the strategic places to rub Vick’s salve and why you drive toothpicks between a sale horse’s top teeth.

Curtis Larmon was the genuine old time horse trader. We lost him yesterday. I bet if he could have chosen his way to go out, it would have been hauling horses to a sale with his brother – and that’s what happened. Like some trades, it went bad. But like some trades, it wasn’t anyone’s fault.

I knew who Curtis was many years before I met him. When I was a teenager, there were little horse sales at almost every town with a salebarn in Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas, and the first time I ever heard Curtis Larmon’s name was at the horse sale at Diamond, Mo. Probably some 40-odd years ago. Later I saw him in team roping pens all over the place.

The last horse I saw Curtis sell was a jam up nice grullo rope horse at the Heritage sale in Parsons, Kan. That horse came in the ring looking like a new dime with a long mane and tail, in a straight up bridle and spun like a top. Curtis made one of those great horse trader spiels, but he didn’t have to. The videos were playing of the horse roping cattle and he was riding in the ring just like an old time trader can get them to do. He brought five figures. I could tell you exactly how much, but I won’t, cause an old time horse trader wouldn’t.

Curtis taught cowboys, raised cowboys and I bet gave a lot of lessons to a boat load of would-be cowboys. He raised my friend Jake Callihan. A good man. I don’t think I’d want to trade with Jake, though – on account of his raising. There are happy people all over the place with good horses Curtis provided. In my opinion there’s nothing better you can do for a person than put them on really good horse.

This is a horrible loss, but as another good old horse trader told me once, “if you’re gonna have ‘um, you’re gonna loose ‘um.” I prefer to think of it like this: Right now, Curtis is completely fit and able. Every trade goes right where he is and he gets to find the kind he always dreamed of down here – every day. All his tires are new and there’s always plenty of room to haul what he bought in a trailer with a new floor. Clearance lights never go out in heaven. He’s in good company with many fine horseman who have gone before. I hope he runs into my brother to ride the rough off those juicy colts for him.