LouisianaBred: Michele Rodriguez
#LouisianaBred

“The incentive program is important because it rewards a horse breeding o

peration for producing quality horses for racing.”

Michele Rodriguez makes a lot of things happen for the horse industry. She has served on the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association for nine years.

She resides in Folsom, Louisiana, one of the focal points for horses in the state. Her involvement with thoroughbred horses dates back to 1987.

Rodriguez entered the horse business in the 1980s when she was given one pregnant mare, then rescued an additional mare and foal. When the pregnant mare foaled, the resulting horse became her first starter.

Elite Thoroughbreds is co-owned by Rodriguez and husband Lee D. Thomas. Elite Thoroughbreds is located in a 700-acre setting of oaks and pines only an hour’s drive from the New Orleans Fairgrounds. It offers a refuge for horses from the everyday stress of the racetrack.  The facilities include a 1/2 mile racetrack, a four stall starting gate, a sixty-foot Euroexerciser, a sixty-foot round breaking pen, a swimming pond and numerous paddocks as well as six large barns complete with extra large stalls for foaling.  The staff attends to the horse’s every need during its stay on the grounds.

Michele is an attorney who owns and operates a successful title company. She is also one of the founders of the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association. She is a combination of business, passion and compassion. Michele has the biggest heart and is 100 percent for the good of all horses.

When asked what her favorite Louisiana Bred horse was she is quick to answer, Raspberry Wine.

“She made a half million on the track and produced some beautiful babies.”

 

 

Nathan Granger #LouisianaBred

 

“It is vital to the horse industry. It encourages the individual horse owner to raise these animals.”

 

Nathan Granger has been a board member for the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association for five years. He has been involved with thoroughbred horses for 30 years and currently owns and manages 15. His G & G Farms is a breeding and racing operation.

 

He is a partner in Quality Companies, U.S.A and transfers his business expertise to the business of the association. His perspective and experience helps maintain the balance with budget and passion for the industry.

 

Nathan Granger is an entrepreneur, an Athletic Hall of Famer and a man of a deep faith that inspires him to make his little world a better place. He is known to give back to the community and businesses that he is involved with and gives back to the horse industry by serving on the LTBA board. His entrepreneurial spirit is the same one that fuels most thoroughbred horse breeding and racing businesses.

 

Born and raised in Erath, the father of five and husband to a woman he met in kindergarten, Dana.

 

While at Erath High School, Granger lettered in four sports, eventually walking on with the then University of Southwestern Louisiana football team. He played football for a year and a half, but after his playing days were over, he remained at the school to finish his bachelor’s degree in finance. He also received a master’s degree in business from USL — now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette — several years later.

 

Nathan’s favorite Louisiana bred is Hallowed Dreams.

 

“She was one of the first Louisiana breds that could have competed on the national scene.”

 

LouisianaBred: Neal McFadden   #LouisianaBred

“Enjoyed the ride.”

Neal McFadden has always been a man of few words. When you Google his name multiple statistics come up with his success in breeding and racing. You won’t find lots of stories about him because he is just that kind of guy – the one who is always working behind the scenes. The statistics do the talking for him.

 

Neal has been a Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association member and/or Board member for 25 years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association. He has been involved with the thoroughbred business for 30 years. McFadden Farm is his breeding and racing business, but it is also Neal’s passion.

 

Neal’s favorite horse is one he bred, Legs O’Neal, a multiple stakes winner that sold for $3,000 in the 2001 LTBA Spring Mixed Sale.

 

Neal and his wife love to trail ride. They continue to serve the thoroughbred industry in Louisiana as active breeders. Their horses continue to have great success in the sales and on the racetrack.

 

He currently resides in Baker, Florida with his wife Mary. He was a long time resident of Carencro, Louisiana where the couple owned and operated General Veterinary Supply.