our story

The Travis family is known for two things - their unshakable faith and good, quality horses. Bruce Travis Sr. made sure both of these things were woven into the fabric of the Travis family framework. He did this by having a personal relationship with Christ, encouraging Christ-centered lives in his children, and trusting God in all things - including providing his family with quality horses.
Bruce Sr. with his horses.
Bruce Travis Sr. and his wife, Betty, moved their family to Creston, Iowa in 1956. All his children took a liking to horses, including his middle son, Bruce Travis Jr. When it came time for Bruce Jr. to start a family, he knew what two things remained at the top of his priority list - strong faith and solid horses. Bruce Jr. and his wife, Dee, had four kids that all followed in the family footsteps of faith and horses. Their children remember always riding quality horses, regardless of the family's financial situation. Stories have been told of the family pulling up to shows with their horses in a tarp-top trailer or even a cattle pot. They didn't have much, but the horses they hauled were worth their weight in gold. In the past several years, God has blessed the Travis family more than they could have imagined. Their children - Jamie, Clint, Adam, and Mallory - each live on the family farm with their families and enjoy telling these stories from "ages ago," while raising horses as a family.
Bruce and Dee's children - (from L to R) Mallory, Clint, Bruce, Adam, and Jamie.
What started as one man and a few quality horses has become a growing family and a large, incredible herd of horses. The Travis family shown in this photo above all live within 5 miles of each other and use their horses for both work and play. Any given Saturday in the summer, you can find this bunch shooting at a Cowboy Mounted Shooting event or working 60 head of cattle in a pasture on the family farm. The 15 grandkids Bruce & Dee claim are constantly being taught the value of good work ethic and the importance of a family sticking together - in both the good times and the bad. Ultimately, the Travis family credits the Lord for the blessing they have and continue to receive. ​
The Grandkids - Back row (from L to R): Tristan, Jake, Connor, Veronica, Dee, Bruce, Luke, Travis, and Lane.
​Front row (from L to R): Maddie, Caleb, Kristi, Grace, Josie, Kenny, Ally, and Tyler.
Bruce and Dee have 4 kids with spouses of their own, plus 15 grandkids, and the family just keeps growing. This keeps life busy and interesting on the Travis ranch. Almost everyone in their family rides, and some even are juggling two horses. With everyone being so involved in the family business, we'd like to introduce each family individually to give you an idea of who we are. We are so fortunate to live so close and work together. 
Bruce and Dee
This is the couple that started it all! Bruce and Dee have been married for 46 years. Bruce is constantly training a new horse that somehow - even when he swears he's "keeping this one" - is always given to a young grandkid in need of a horse. Dee rides every once in a while, but is always at the horse events supporting the kids, or helping when the group is moving cattle by driving in her vehicle behind the horses, just in case any little cowboys get tired. "Grandma and Grandpa" are their favorite titles, and they have made sure the tradition of a solid faith has stayed at the forefront of the family's focus. They have been so instrumental in establishing our family and we are so thankful for them!
Jamie's family
from L to R: Tristan, Maddie, Connor, Megan, and Jamie
Jamie is the oldest of Bruce and Dee's kids, and has the oldest grandkids of the family. Tristan and Connor have started riding young horses, and Maddie is working on an up-and-coming 8-year-old. Hopefully, each of these horses will be well-suited for younger cousins someday. While Jamie's wife, Megan, doesn't ride much, she is very supportive of all the events her family participates in. Tristan proposed to his fiancee, Allivea Skarda, in January 2021. She started riding and shooting with our family quickly after their engagement.  Connor recently proposed to his girlfriend of 4 1/2 years, Alison Van Gelder. She enjoys traveling with her family and ours, and can often be found next to Connor in a tractor. We can't wait to add both Allivea and Alison to our family in 2022!
Picture on Left: Alison and Connor. Picture on Right: Tristan and Allivea.
Clint's family
from L to R: Clint, Luke, Grace, Caleb, Rachael, and Jake
​Clint is Bruce and Dee's second child, and his kids are in the middle of the grandkid bunch. Clint is known for having multiple colts to break at once, and has raised many of his own horses since he was young. Jake and Luke are also riding young horses at the moment. We're excited to get our kids on young horses to teach them what it takes to produce quality horses. Grace enjoys shooting and barrel racing. Their youngest son, Caleb, has Down Syndrome, but that doesn't stop him from riding his horse with his Dad and siblings. Clint's wife, Rachael, enjoys riding every now and again, but enjoys supporting her family by attending events the most. 
Adam's family
from L to R: Tyler, Kristi, Kelsey, Adam, Josie, and Lane
Adam is Bruce and Dee's third child and youngest son. His kids, like Clint and Rachael's, fall in the middle of the pack. Josie and Kristi, Adam's oldest two, are riding young horses and learning valuable lessons while doing so. His sons, Lane and Tyler, enjoy using their horses to move cattle and shoot with their cousins. Adam is a great shooter, and is the only one of our bunch that has won a saddle at an event. Like Megan and Rachael, Adam's wife, Kelsey, is her family's biggest cheerleader - supporting them at every event. Josie recently became engaged to her boyfriend of 6 years, Kaden Bolton (pictured below). We've seen Kaden as an unofficial member of our family for years now, and are excited to make that official after their July wedding.
Mallory's family
from L to R: Kenny, Veronica, Kevin, Mallory, Allyse, and Travis
Mallory is the youngest of Bruce and Dee's children, and her kids round out our group of 15 grandkids. Mallory married Kevin Lents, and their family owns a growing red angus business - Lents Farms Red Angus. Their four kids - Veronica, Allyse, Travis, and Kenny - enjoy mounted shooting, showing their cattle and sheep, and playing with their older cousins. One of our favorite things is to watch her kids grow, and they are doing it too quickly! All of her kids are great helpers with their livestock.