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Published on: 4/15/2008
Last Visited: 4/15/2008
Mike HancockMike Hancock, Rocky Mount, N.C., bought his first Quarter Horse when he was 14 years old.Through the years, he's competed in a variety of events, but for the past 28 years, he has focused on reining. Hancock earned his first National Reining Horse Association paycheck on Lonnies Question, by Brio out of Lonnie Lady by Billy Whizzer, in 1980.
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At age 54, Hancock is just as enthusiastic as he was 40 years ago.He attributes that to the balance he maintains in his life.To Hancock, "balance" is family, work and horses."One of the reasons people leave the horse industry is because they don't have a balance in their lives," Hancock said.
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Hancock grew up in Durham, N.C.When he started riding, he rode barrel horses, then gradually moved on to American Quarter Horse Association shows and halter and Western pleasure horses.He shod horses through high school to pay for his hobby."Most of the good things in my life and business trace back to my horses," Hancock said.
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Bryan's dad, Nick, suggested that Hancock get a business degree and join the family business.Hancock said, "OK," earned a degree in business economics and got started "by flipping hamburgers."Today, Hancock is the executive vice president of Boddie-Noell Enterprises Inc., which operates four different restaurant concepts including Hardee's, Moe's Southwest Grill, Texas Steakhouse & Saloon, and Café Carolina & Bakery."We operate in five states," Hancock explained."And we have 390-plus restaurants."Boddie-Noell also is in land development."We have multiple properties in North Carolina and Virginia with about 4000 acres under development," Hancock said.He and Bryan have been married for 34 years.They have two daughters, Catherine and Rebekah.Although Rebekah doesn't show horses, she and her father scuba dive and snow ski together."I stay busy," Hancock said."But I'm able to enjoy the balance in my life."And that includes his commitment to all things equine.In 1971, Hancock was a delegate at the American Quarter Horse Youth Association convention, and in 1972, he competed in the first AQHYA World Championship Show.He's been a "full" AQHA Judge for 23 years and today retains his reining specialty status.He also is an NRHA judge.Hancock was a youth adviser for the North Carolina Quarter Horse Association in the 1970s and in the '90s.When asked what happened in the '80s, he answered simply, "I became a reiner."But he did not give up contributing on the administrative level.On the contrary, he got more involved.
Make it happenWhen NRHA officially moved its Derby to Raleigh, N.C., in 1980, Hancock was there to lend a hand.As an early member of the Southeast Reining Horse Association (SERHA) he helped with fundraising and providing manpower.He was president of the SERHA in 1981.Hancock served on the NRHA board of directors in 1982 and 1983, and has served on one NRHA committee or another consistently from that time on.He has seen quite a few changes in the reining horse industry."Thirty years ago, there were probably 15 NRHA horse shows you could go to in a year.There was only one strata of competition: open, non-pro and ladies.Those were the only opportunities you had," he said.Now there are more than 700 NRHA-approved shows each year, along with multiple divisions.In 1991, Hancock established the Carolina Classic, an NRHA-sanctioned show that includes a derby."There weren't too many big derbies in those days on the East Coast for me to go show my horses," he explained."I'm thinking if I put this on and it works, I'll have someplace to go show my 4-year-olds, and if somebody else shows up, that's fine , that's good." Plenty of reiners showed up, and the Carolina Classic has been a success for 18 years.Hancock created the Carolina Fall Classic in 2005 for more or less the same reason."I wanted a place to show my futurity horses, and I wanted a place for my daughter Catherine to show.I figured if it suited my needs, it would suit the needs of others," he said.Once again, he was right. Both shows are user-friendly."We try to make our shows as stress free as possible," Hancock said."Our motto is: ,No one has a problem.It's just our opportunity to resolve their inconvenience.' "Hancock is now about to bring his experience and level-headed expertise back to the national level.He was recently appointed to the NRHA board of directors.
Back on board"Today, I see what I consider three distinct circles of activity," Hancock explained.
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Hancock said that the many different opinions being expressed about the current and future state of reining are a good thing for the sport."That's going to just makes us all get smarter and more creative to make it better for everybody.And I want to be a part of it," he said."It seemed to me there were some issues where history would be a benefit for the board.We need to learn from the past, but not let it restrict our future.When I was asked to serve, I decided now was a good time to become more involved again." This is not without challenges."The biggest challenge is getting people to be able to look at the future and take in all the different aspects of our sport , the three legs of the stool," Hancock explained."We need to come up with a balance where everybody is able to progress and move their particular interest forward , but not at the expense of the other , to make the sum greater than the individual parts."He attended the recent NRHA convention in the organization's hometown."I left Oklahoma City feeling pretty good about the future of the association," Hancock said.
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