Linda Cline and her late husband, Charlie, moved to Cushing, Oklahoma, in 1967, and in 1985 purchased acreage on which they planned to retire. They started with 17 horses and established the Char-Lin Ranch, which today is a renowned producer of registered quarter horses and Angus cattle and has more than 300 horses and 2,500 cattle.

 

Their show horse operation earned more than 200 World and Reserve World Championships before downsizing. C.L. Buckley, their first buckskin colt, became a legend in the halter-horse industry, siring more World Champions in the buckskin associations than any other stallion in the registry.

 

Cline recently contributed funding for the Charles and Linda Cline Equine Teaching Center at OSU. The new facility will include a teaching barn with stalls for foaling mares, an indoor arena, classrooms, feed and tack rooms, a wash rack and treatment area.

 

With a deep-rooted passion for students and giving them an opportunity to succeed, Cline is hopeful the center will make it possible for every student to take the equine classes they desire. Her vision for the center is more than just a facility. The center is for the students and will allow OSU faculty and staff to better prepare them for a lifetime in the equine industry.

 

While neither Cline attended OSU, they have credited much of their success to the faculty’s willingness to visit the ranch, work with the family and teach them about the horse business. They became passionate for the university where their daughter, Amy, earned a journalism degree. Their son, Cary, has two daughters who are current students at OSU.