KMSHA Official Website

Welcome to Gobbler Roost Ranch! We are Jim and Judy Leek and we are excited about sharing our passion with you. Our primary ranch location is near Austin, Texas. We are dedicated to developing, marketing, and enjoying outstanding Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horses for both show and trail.

Judy has been around horses all her life and was a skilled rider when we first met. I wasn’t. Wanting to impress her yet never having ridden, I accepted an invitation to ride one of her horses (one of those trottin’ kind). I tried several times to ride that animal and was thrown off. Needless to say, I assumed that riding horses was not for me. I was doomed to cleaning stalls, washing horses, and cleaning tack. But things changed when Judy and I moved near Lexington, Kentucky. In 1992 we purchased an absolutely beautiful 3 year old Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse mare with the barn name Bonita. Full of personality and patience, this gorgeous mare trained me, our children and grandchildren to ride. Judy moved from her trottin’ ways to the smooth-gaited Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse as well. We could finally ride together. There’s nothing more fun than riding a gorgeous Mountain Horse that is so smooth that you can ride and drink your morning coffee (so, I exaggerate a little…but not much).

My life is hectic. I am a "Type A+". I have business interests throughout much of the globe and am always on the go. And, I am Christian. Relaxation has always been hard for me. But Bonita has allowed me a certain relaxation that I had not known before. I believe God let me have Bonita (and then other Mountain Horses) to teach me how to cool it, to learn to be still in the saddle and to listen to Him. Bonita and our other Mountain Horses have enabled me to know a tranquillity and freedom that can only come from being partnered with a kind and courageous mount. Bonita has helped us handle the stress of field trials, the challenge of slippery mountain trails, the solitude of deep woods exploration, and has listened to many deep conversations. Bonita is now 19 but she is still a fun-loving yet careful mount for our grandchildren and their friends. As I write this, I am en route to Texas having spent several days negotiating business on the West Coast. But I really am excited about a ride in the Texas Hill Country this weekend; I need the retreat to assure a clear head and to talk with my Father.

Judy and I decided to share our passion. So we began a program of careful acquisition of breeding and show stock to produce Mountain Horses with beauty, brains, and bravery. Almost every Mountain Horse we own is a living legend of the breed. In the past two years, our show horses and their offspring have won nearly 50 regional and national championships. But beyond the show ring, we are striving to produce the ultimate companion horse that will give you a ground-covering silky smooth ride, hallmarks of this breed.

If you already own Mountain Horses, let us breed your dream. We have three breeding stallions that are among the best in the breed. They have proven themselves in the ring, on the trail, and by their progeny. Our Mountain Horses are kept in both Texas and Kentucky. We have developed a close relationship with Wendell and Sue Wells, owners of Prince Albert Stables, located in Prestonsburg, KY, and their superb trainers Josh Murdock, Will McArthur, and Jacob Callis. The Prince Albert crew is reliable and very skilled, offering a full service equine facility. They are expert at matching rider with horse. They strive to produce both good horses and repeat customer business.

Visit our website at www.gobblerroostranch.net and meet many of our horses. Then take the plunge and call either Sue Wells at Prince Albert Stables or call me. Let us hear from you and we’ll do all we can to help you achieve your dream. If you are like me, you’ll become intoxicated with what I believe to be the USA’s most nearly perfect horse.