Country music artist jason Sturgeon’s official bio describes him as “running wild and free as the Quarter Horse he learned to ride and compete on from the the time he was 14.”
“Oh yeah, I did pole bending for a long time,” he says. “I placed eighth in junior poles at the (AQHA) World Show in 1996. I’ve just been a horse guy my entire life.”
Today, he has a debut album, “That’s Me,” and his own record label, Toolpusher Records, but little time for horses his family still owns.
“I’ve kind of got my nose to the grindstone,” the the 33-year-old from Bedford, Indiana, says. “It’s hard to do both well.”
But he has the memories – “My horse (Direct Haul), he was my best friend. You learn each other’s (habits), what a look means. He was my best buddy for the longest time.”
And he has the lessons learned from a youth spent on horseback.
“Doing it at a young age, you take on that responsibility. It’s a huge responsibility taking care of an animal, training an animal, just making sure the diet’s right. You’re the responsible person, and you want to do the best you can. A lot of stuff has stuck with me from (the horses),” Jason says “It has taught me to take pride in what I’m doing and always try as hard as I can to achieve my goals and be accountable for what you’re doing. I don’t think I would have gotten it anywhere else.”
Today, that focus is directed at his music career. Dane Clark, John Mellencamp’s drummer, writes and produces with him, and every member of Jason’s band is from Indiana.
“It’s kind of an Indiana effort,” he says.
Media from Indiana and Nashville alike are starting to pay attention to Jason, but he was excited to learn that AQHA was interested in him, too.
“It has always been something that has been a big part of my life,” he says.
BY HOLLY CLANAHAN