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Tracy Roberts Frist

@tadpolefrist

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You know you’re in the Cutting Horse Capital of the World when even Ronald McDonald rides a cutting horse.

Weatherford, Texas. Where Tracy’s horses Tripp and Scarlett train, and where the sport shows up everywhere.

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In cutting, trust becomes visible when the rider lowers her rein hand and lets the horse work.

Once a cow is separated from the herd, the horse must anticipate its movements and keep it from returning. The rider has to trust the work they’ve done together.
That partnership is built through patient training, repetition, and the steady help of people most spectators never see.

Tracy is competing at the Brazos Bash in Weatherford, Texas, riding Tripp and Scarlett. I’m in the stands for every run.

These photos are from a recent training trip with Sean Flynn Cutting Horses Ltd: Tracy practicing with Scarlett in the first, and with Tripp in the second. Two incredible horses, each with its own remarkable bond with Tracy, built through patience, practice, and trust.

A lesson that reaches well beyond the arena: when the big moment arrives, you’re drawing on the work you’ve already done. Proud of you, Tracy.

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A few weeks ago, Tracy and I were delighted to welcome the SCORE team and their families to Old Town for a fall picnic we look forward to every year. It was the perfect way to kick off the fall season.

We've hosted this gathering for several years now, and it's a small way for us to say thank you to a fantastic team for the work they do every day for students across Tennessee.

When I founded SCORE back in 2009, the goal was simple but ambitious: make Tennessee one of the fastest-improving states in the nation for student achievement. Seeing how far that work has come, and the people carrying it forward, makes me incredibly proud. David Mansouri's leadership has been a big part of that, and the team he has built is truly exceptional.

Thank you to every SCORE team member, and to the families who support them. Your work is making a real difference for Tennessee's students.

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A thousand years ago, a town of temple mounds and maize fields stood along the Harpeth River. Then its people left. Why?

This painting shows Old Town as it existed then: a fortified center of about 12 acres, with temple mounds, public spaces, and fields along the river.

Working with archaeologists at MTSU, Tracy and I have used ground-penetrating radar to map the town that still lies beneath our feet.

Tree rings offer a clue. Severe droughts struck this region in the 1300s and 1400s. Year after dry year would have strained crops and likely brought real hunger. We may never know every reason people left. But standing there today, it's clear how much their lives depended on the land and water around them.

We still depend on them, too. As a doctor, I see it plainly: the world around us shapes the health within each of us.

Preservation gives a place its memory. Conservation gives that memory a living future.

I shared this story at the @savingplaces National Preservation Summit. Comment "MEMORY" and I'll send you the full story on Substack.

Do you know who lived on your land long before you?

🎨: Nick Fielder, 2021

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Tracy and I spent last night with family and friends and a sold-out crowd at the beautiful Franklin Theatre enjoying Pablo Cruise, including Nashville’s David Jenkins. The great ‘70s (yes, ‘70s) band still brings those smooth harmonies and sunny California sound.

For Tracy, the evening brought back memories. Her Dad was a pilot and friend of the band who flew them around the country at height of their popularity. Tracy also hosted them at their family farm in Longshop-McCoy, Virginia.

This throwback photo shows a 16-year-old Tracy with band members David Jenkins and Cory Lerios, ready to head out on horseback. The original caption read: “Pablo Cruise meets the real McCoy.”

Decades later, a different setting, the same band, and a wonderful evening together with friends.

What band takes you right back to your younger years?

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“Protecting wildlife means choosing nature over people.” That’s this week’s myth.

In Idaho’s Upper Salmon Basin, much of the habitat salmon depend on is on private land. Recovery takes ranchers, landowners, Tribal leaders, government agencies, and conservation groups working together.

Tracy and I learned about these partnerships during our week on the river with The Nature Conservancy. Restoring stream flows and reconnecting waterways takes solutions that respect the people who live and work on the land.

Healthy landscapes and healthy communities are part of the same story. The best conservation efforts strengthen both.

What’s a river, farm, or natural space near you that you’d like to help protect?Tell me where and why it matters to you.

Follow for more Myth Diagnoses on the connections between nature, health, and our communities.

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“You don’t have to have a thousand acres to make a difference.”

That was the thought Tracy left with our guests from American Farmland Trust when we welcomed them to Old Town this weekend. She shared the story of our farm at Sinking Creek in Southwest Virginia, then gave them a cutting horse demonstration—another big part of her life on the land.

When we first came to Sinking Creek, we asked a simple question: What is already here? We studied the soil and water, documented the wildlife, and listened to people who knew the land before us. What we learned continues to shape how we care for it.

It was a joy to share that story with people who care deeply about the future of farmland.

What is one thing you have learned by paying closer attention to the land around you?

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My wife Tracy inspires me daily. This past weekend at Oatlands, she put into words something I admire deeply about her:

“You do something in your own lifetime for people you may never meet.”

My wife delivered the keynote honoring Jacquie Mars, whose longstanding generosity has helped preserve Oatlands Historic House & Gardens in Virginia. As a trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Tracy brings both knowledge and heart to caring for places and the stories they hold.

Oatlands is a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Jacquie’s support has helped restore its historic greenhouse and portico columns, giving future generations the chance to experience them.

Someday, a child will wander into that greenhouse or a family will walk through those gardens. They may never know who made it possible. Their lives will simply be richer for it.

Proud of Tracy, and glad to join her in honoring Jacquie’s lasting commitment to this remarkable place.

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Fresh cider and a tradition worth passing down 🍎

On this first day of fall, I’m sharing a few moments with Tracy during a cider making demonstration at The Farm at Sinking Creek in Southwest Virginia.

At our 4-H day camp this summer, children watched apples being crushed, pulp pressed, and fresh cider strained and poured into cups to taste. An Appalachian tradition brought to life, one step at a time.

This is Tracy’s vision for our farm: a place where children can experience their community’s heritage firsthand and feel proud to carry it forward.

What fall tradition takes you back to childhood? Share it with me in the comments.

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It’s definitely the People that make the Place! Nashville Health @nashhealthorg is definitely all about the people 🫶🙌 Thank you Tracy Frist @tadpolefrist and Julie Alley @its.mama.j for such an incredible evening. Can’t imagine Riding with the King @john_hiatt_music with anyone else. #oldtown #nashvillehealth

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Riding with the King! Wow! The iconic John Hiatt @john_hiatt_music , the Legendary Tommy Emmanuel @tommyemmanuelcgp and Nashville’s very own The Camroons @thecameroons blew us all away Saturday night! Grilling for Good & Raising money our Nashville neighbors for Nashville Heath @nashhealthorg has never been so much fun. Thank you Tracy & Bill for your incredible hospitality- absolutely incredible! @tadpolefrist #johnhiatt #tommyemmanuel #ridingwiththeking

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This weekend, Tracy and I look forward to welcoming friends from across Nashville for Grilling for Good—an evening celebrating the power of food and community to improve health.

More than 40,000 Davidson County residents live in areas where healthy grocery options are scarce or difficult to reach. That limited access has real consequences for the health and opportunity of working families, children, and seniors.

As NashvilleHealth marks its 10th anniversary, this gathering will support its work to expand access to healthy food and advance our shared vision of making Nashville the healthiest city in America.

Presented by NashvilleHealth and Amazon, the evening will bring together special guest host Andrew Zimmern, an outstanding group of chefs, musical guests, and community leaders committed to building a healthier Nashville.

Proud to help host this special event.

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