Frank (photo) and Robin Merrill have sold their Windward Stud breeding and training facility in Purcell, OK to Bill and Barbara Cowan, and their daughter, Lisa Cowan Huestis, of Havre, MT. As part of the arrangement, which was finalized on October 17, the Merrills will continue to operate Windward Stud and retain the services of trainer Andy Sherrerd, as well as veterinarian David White. The name of the new enterprise is Cowan Select Horses LLC at Windward Stud.

“Our duties are to carry on with what we’ve been doing – procuring young stock and training and nurturing them to the point where they are competitive,” said Frank Merrill, who will take up the reins as president of the American Quarter Horse Association in March 2007.

Merrill, 58, developed Windward Stud from 100 acres of barb-wire laced pasture to a state-of-the-art breeding farm in 1974. When he and Robin were married in 1975, she had been managing a Quarter race horse breeding farm in Aubrey, TX for her father, Doc Severinsen, longtime bandleader for the Johnny Carson Show.

Together, the Merrills developed Windward Stud into one of the country’s foremost Quarter Horse breeding operations with such outstanding race and performance sires as Boon Bar, Jim Jay (TB), Peponita, and Shorty Lena. All-time leading cutting horse broodmare Royal Blue Boon was even conceived at Windward.

Three years ago, the Merrills held a complete dispersal, offering all of the horses and equipment for sale, as well as the ranch.

“Everything worked like clockwork except for the sale of the ranch,” said Merrill. “It took three years, but it was worth the wait. We wanted to leave the commercial side of things, from a breeding aspect, and try to develop good, young competitors for people to buy.

“This feels more like a partnership than anything else,” he added. “The Cowans share the same passion that Robin and I have and they want to carry on the traditions.”

Bill Cowan is a fourth generation Montana cattleman, who along with his wife, Barbara, is horseback every day with ranching demands. Although the Cowans do not compete, they own Hey Houston, a prominent Quarter Horse performer and sire. Their son, Bill Cowan Jr., is a familiar name among amateur and non-pro cutting horse competitors, as well.

“We’ll breed to a lot of outside stallions and treat (the business) much like a sports franchise,” explained Merrill of the new operation. “We’re going to keep the best players in the forefront, or as Barbara Cowan says, “the ones that people drool over.”