Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw to enjoy an Oklahoma getaway

Sunday, February 6th 2005, 2:45 pm

By: News On 6

THACKERVILLE, Okla. (AP) _ National Football League Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw is planning to move his horse ranching operation from Texas to a 704-acre ranch in southern Oklahoma.

Chad Wing, Bradshaw's ranch manager in Westlake, Texas, said the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is planning to sell his property there and move the halter horse operation to the Thackerville ranch.

Bradshaw, now a host of Fox's ``NFL Sunday,'' was looking for a location in North Texas about five years ago when a friend told him about the spread for sale in Thackerville, located about five miles north of the state line on Interstate 35.

``He happened onto it,'' Wing told The Oklahoman. ``When he drove onto the place, he fell in love with the land.''

Located on the rolling hills of Love County, the property includes about 200 wooded acres and a live creek, with a house that cannot be seen from the main road.

``How do you know about Thackerville?'' Bradshaw said when asked about the property during a recent Fox Super Bowl teleconference. ``Thackerville is a great place. Nobody can find it. Like living in Deliverance. I fit right in.''

Area residents say Bradshaw keeps a low profile when he's in town.

``Terry's a private individual,'' said Steve Hendrickson, a neighbor who has done fence work for Bradshaw. ``I'll try to keep it that way.''

Hendrickson says a few gawkers have found their way to the property, especially after Bradshaw mentioned the ranch last year when he was a guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

``We get a few interesting characters show up, just because they know he's around,'' Hendrickson said.

Wing said a keep-out sign is posted at the ranch and that a gate will be kept closed once the ranch is complete. He said some barns are still being built and some pastures haven't been cleared yet.

``We get a lot of drive-ins,'' Wing said. ``Which he (Bradshaw) does not like.

``Who can blame him? Terry's going to be making the place his home.''

A native of Shreveport, La., Bradshaw attended Louisiana Tech before becoming the Steelers' No. 1 draft pick in 1970. During 14 seasons in Pittsburgh, he led the Steelers to eight AFC Central titles and four Super Bowls. He worked as an analyst for 10 years with CBS before moving to Fox in 1994.