The All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons and Jerry Jones‘ veteran defensive mind built a bond that quickly moved above the Xs and Os. Texts came with updates not about schemes, but stallions. Cowboys former defensive coordinator owns racehorses. Last year, he wanted Parsons in the paddock with him. “I think we’re about to get a horse together,” Parsons laughed, via Dallas Morning News. “Do I get 10% of the horse? He’s like, ‘Yeah, but you’ve got to pay child support.’” The man in focus was former NFL head coach Mike Zimmer, and the child support was training fees and diets of a horse.
For years, the ex-HC couldn’t bring himself to settle. He was too deep in the grind with worries about the future. His wife Vikki often calmed him during such anxious moments. He revealed in 2019 what she used to tell her, “You can’t live life that way. You can’t worry about what’s next.” In September 2013, as Bengals defensive coordinator, Zimmer bought 40 acres in northern Kentucky countryside just outside Cincinnati. That property, now 160 acres, is Zimmer Ridge Ranch.
On June 15, he made a massive achievement when his horse #6 NOT THIS BOY ($4.04) raced past all others at the Churchill Downs racecourse. Brin Hernandez was atop the gelding, pushing it to go past the speed limits. Coming from Not This Time (TMStallions), Doug Cowans trained it while the Zimmer Ridge Ranch owns it. The visuals were equally stunning. NFL analyst Tom Pelissero also congratulated him on X, “Congrats to owner Mike Zimmer on a big win for his horse at Churchill Downs.”
Congrats to owner Mike Zimmer on a big win for his horse at Churchill Downs. https://t.co/gNFiEC3hnO
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 15, 2025
Jerry Jones‘ retired DC’s horse was in the second place for most of the race and even slipped to the 3rd place. But on the last turn of the race, Hernandez pushed it, and the stallion took big strides, marching ahead of every other horse. In the last 50 yards of the race, the gap became increasingly evident, with Mike Zimmer’s horse eventually becoming the winner.
Horseracing is getting increasingly popular in the NFL. Travis Kelce bought a stake in a thoroughbred named Swift Delivery in 2024. It finished second in the Toronto Cup Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack last September. NFL legend Terry Bradshaw also owned a sprawling 744+ acres horse farm, Terry Bradshaw Quarter Horses, in Oklahoma, which he sold in 2023. But for Jerry Jones’ retired employee, his farm is a prized possession.
More than the former NFL DC, his wife Vikki would have loved this achievement even more. But she never got to see it after passing away in 2009. That’s one regret in his life. Now, he is no longer in the NFL, living his life in peace at his ranch. His stint in the Cowboys ended early this year.
Jerry Jones is without his trusted DC in 2025
Zimmer first joined the Cowboys as a defensive assistant in 1994 under HC Barry Switzer. By 2000, he progressed to become their defensive coordinator. Jerry Jones’ trust in his abilities grew every year. Moreover, under his lead, the Cowboys finished 1st in total defense in 2001, and 4th in 2003. It was a pattern he followed for years.
He left Dallas in 2006. What followed was a decade-long blueprint of defensive dominance. In Cincinnati (2008–2013), Zimmer’s units were top 5 in total defense twice, peaking at 4th in 2009 and 3rd in 2013. That got him his first head coaching job at the Vikings. In eight seasons, he led them to three playoff appearances, one NFC Championship run. And defenses ranked 1st (2017), 3rd (2016), and 4th (2018) in total defense.
His return to Dallas in 2024 felt like a full-circle moment. Known for his tactical supremacy combined with a no-nonsense approach, even the Cowboys owner praised him. Jones said last year, “Mike Zimmer has the makiпgs of a great head coach. He’s someoпe who kпows how to lead a team, aпd his uпderstaпdiпg of the game is secoпd to пoпe.” But the ex-coach was tired.
Speaking with ESPN’s Ed Werder in January this year, the 67-year-old coach confirmed he will not return to the Cowboys in 2025, signaling what he called a likely retirement from the NFL. Jerry Jones moved ahead with Matt Eberflus as the new DC. Mike Zimmer never needed a drama to make noise. In the NFL, he left behind a defensive legacy that hit hard. Now, he is somewhere else. On the racecourses, he has just started the speed of thrill when most of his age like to settle down.
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