akes Perfect M any kids dream of horses, but Una Ford pushed her dream into reality. In sixth grade, she marched into the local bank and cosigned a loan with her grandpa, Bill Young, to buy her fi rst six horses: three broodmares and three weanling stallions. That drive, determination and clear vision helped grow Treasure g reasure State Quarter Horses into a thriving ng business. Una and her husband, Todd, operate U Treasure T re State Quarter Horses with Una’s parents, p s, Ted and Barb Crowley, in the Bear Paw B aw Mountains, about 30 miles south of Havre, Mont. Una comes from s a fi ve-generation generation cattle-ranching family with a rich history in Montana. “I guess I am a black sheep in the family,” she says. “Everyone else was raising cattle, but that was not me at all.” Grandpa Bill always encouraged Una’s horse passion as he raised horses on his ranch for working cattle. “Bill was a well-known and respected horseman in this area and throughout the Bear Paw Mountains,” Todd says. He raised proven cow horse broodmares that built the base for today’s Treasure State Quarter Horses bloodlines. But it was a close neighbor who helped Una see her horse passion as something more. Barbara Cowan owns Cowan Select Horses. Una started working for her at the age of 13 and Cowan is now a close friend and mentor. Quality from the Start Una had a great supporting cast as she began to build her herd. Cowan taught her about horse care and the importance of pedigree, genetics, nutrition and feed. Bill supported her dream, and Una’s dad drove her around to pick up the animals that became the start of her herd. “Good horses were central from the beginning,” Una says. Todd, who grew up in Havre and describes himself as a “city kid through and through,” joined the operation after he and Una married in 2000. They met > Your CHS Connection 13