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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBorn and raised on an Arkansas cotton farm, following high\nschool, Emison worked on a number of ranches with the goal of becoming a horse\ntrainer. In 1968, he went to work as manager of Thaggard Farms in Maddon,\nMiss., where with the encouragement of owner and mentor Dr. Lamar Thaggard, he\nbecame involved with cutting events and horse sales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1975, Emison began producing consignment sales on his\nown, as well as in conjunction with cutting horse shows, and in 1979, was asked\nby Silverbrook Ranch owner Helen Groves to manage her famous Silverbrook Farm sale\nin Virginia. In the meantime, Emison had become good friends with legendary\nauctioneer Ike Hamilton and after attending an auctioneering school in Decatur,\nIll., acquired his auctioneer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s license. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I love the people and the cutting horse business, and that\nwas the direction I wanted to go,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Emison. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153So from there on, I stayed with\nthe cutting horse bloodlines.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAlong with the late Bobby Pidgeon, in the 1990s, Emison\nproduced the Western Heritage series of limited age events at Steamboat\nSprings, Colorado, as well as Abilene\nand Belton, Texas, which were popular for their big purses and schedule of\nactivities that helped make cutting fun for all participants. In addition, he\npurchased an equine insurance company in 1997, which became the highly\nrespected Ben Emison Insurance Agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153He was a friend to all and he treated everyone with\nfairness and integrity,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Milt Bradford, also a founding partner of Western\nBloodstock and longtime friend and associate of Emison\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We were partners for\n13 years and in all those years, there was never a cross word between us. It is\nhard to imagine the Futurity Sale this year without him standing next to the\npodium with a catalog in his hand.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2012, looking toward retirement, Ben Emison and Milt\nBradford sold Western Bloodstock to NCHA world champions and cutting horse\nbreeders Jeremy and Candace Barwick, with the gentlemen\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s agreement that they\nwould continue to be supportive during the sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We met when I was 16 years old and from that day forward,\nhe has been the greatest friend and mentor anyone could want,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jeremy Barwick\nsaid of Emison. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Through my years of training and selling horses, I always had\nBen to call, and once I decided to make a career change into the horse sale\nbusiness, Ben again was the one to call. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thanks to Ben and Milt I am able to do everyday what I love\nto do. And if I ever have a problem come up, it never fails that I ask myself, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcWhat\nwould Ben say?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 His philosophy has always been to make the customer happy. He\nleft me a legacy and I will do everything in my power to make him very proud of\nwhat he built and entrusted me with. We at Western Bloodstock love him and will\ndo all we can to keep him proud.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last year, Emison received NCHA\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s highest honor, when he was inducted into the NCHA Members Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ben Emison is survived by his wife, Jan, as well as by a brother, Larry Emison, Jonesboro, Ark.; son, Michael Ben Emison, Lambert, Miss.; grandson Blake Adams and his wife, Stephanie, Tupelo, Miss., granddaughter Lauren Adams, Lambert, Miss.; and three great-grandchildren, Peiffer Ann Adams, Emison Blake Adams, and Sage Adams Brading. He was preceded in death by a brother, Eddie Emison, Jonesboro, Ark.; and by his parents, Ray and Annette Emison, Caraway, Ark <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Visitation<\/strong>
Tuesday, August 20th – 6pm-8pm
White’s Funeral Home<\/a>
130 Houston Ave
Weatherford, Texas 76086.<\/p>\n\n\n\n