Bob is generous with his talent and knowledge, sharing freely with other trainers. He recognizes how much he has gained by spending time working with other trainers, and notes that it helps him gain perspective, and he reciprocates by passing this knowledge along to the other trainers who come to Vallejo III to learn. In turn, verbalizing his techniques reaffirms his procedures and freshens his own perspective.

"I am my own worst critic," says Bob. "I know when I've had a good or bad ride, and as thorough as I am in my training, if I don't win, it is my fault. The horse knew his job, and I let him down by not focusing enough."

Kathie has the luxury of setting her own pace with her horses, since the only person she has to answer to is herself. She keeps her personal show horses completely separate from Bob's training horses, and does her own training, although they do consult with one another when a problem crops up that needs an additional perspective. "With the level of competition being so much better than it was even a few years ago -- the horses today are more fine tuned, as the Arabian business has become perfectionists in breeding, training, presentation -- this level of competition does not leave any room for error," states Kathie. "When I'm riding a national class, my philosophy is that if I can fulfill all the goals that I have set -- if I feel in my heart that I've done the job right -- then the wins will be there. Bob and I stay very sharply focused." Kathie is quick to point out the value of versatility, adding, "A good horse is a good horse and every division will teach principles that you can carry from one division to another. For example, in the English division, riders take advantage of using the ring and the class to show off their horses. They are setting up passes and using every advantage to let the judges see their horses really perform. In the Western division, many riders don't seem to utilize these techniques. Why not?"

A high degree of thought process and attention to detail is what sets Bob apart in the show ring. He knows what he expects of his horses, and they always give 110 percent. "We try to vary the routine with each horse so they don't get bored. Every horse is an individual, with certain needs, and horses at Vallejo III are never dropped into an assembly line. Sometimes they are used to move cattle, or ridden in the pasture, and the better the horse is responding to training, the more time off that horse will spend getting to play in a paddock, which is good for them both mentally and physically." Bob works very hard with his Western pleasure horses to make them "using horses." He adds "If I want to pick up the reins and roll him back on the fence, the horse should respond easily. A good, well trained Western horse should be soft in the bridle and move just as softly. Teaching a horse to go softly yet with a round back is probably the most difficult part of the training process, and by that I mean the horse has to really be striding up under himself and pushing up from underneath. When this happens, the horse can carry his front end on his own rather than the rider trying to carry the horse's head with the reins."

Bob is a staunch advocate of letting the horse be comfortable with the bit. He dislikes seeing horses that seem intimidated by the bridle, since that type of training makes a horse panic when you take a hold of the reins. "As training approaches the finishing stage, it's important to recognize how to peak each horse, and memorize the steps it will take to get each horse to their best," says Bob. "Once they've peaked, they can't stay there forever, and so timing is very critical so we can peak the horses when we need to for each show. After the show, the horses need to be eased off and refreshed on the basics in a snaffle. The horses are gradually built back up through exercises and drills to the necessary peak for the next show."

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According to Bob, a good Western horse will have a great mind and a big heart -- two things you can't lump in with conformation. When assessing a prospect, how can he judge those intangibles? Quite simply. He goes by the horse's eyes and expression. He looks at probably 2,000 to 3,000 horses a year while shopping for clients, and while there are good ones available, the really great ones are rare. Physical characteristics will include a pretty, eye-appealing look to the horse, and overall quality of conformation. Bob likes to see the hocks set low, and good legs set on top of good feet. He intensely dislikes a club foot or dishy foot, preferring a nice wide hoof. Above the hoof, he expects to see good length and slope of pastern, short cannons, and front legs that are set well to the front of the horse rather than under the shoulder. Another important characteristic he needs is a good set of withers, which he notices the halter people tend to forget about when breeding, since they would rather see a smooth line (translated into mutton withers) than a set of withers that could hold a saddle. Often, Bob notes, the halter criteria used today seems designed to eliminate much of the horse's performance ability.

The horse's hind legs and quarters need to be strong and set well, so the horse can use his hindquarters to push. A conformation point often not noticed or remarked upon by others is the horse's mouth. Bob wants to see a deep mouth, since a shallow mouth often doesn't fit most bits very well. The horse's neck should be shapely and well set.

According to Bob, the most important part of a great horse is its mind. "So much depends on sound mental ability and heart," says Bob, "since I think we've all seen those horses who could outperform what their structure said they could do. A great horse is a combination of six parts: first, the physical attributes; second, the mental capacity; third is charisma or presence; fourth is a desire to win; fifth is a good owner; and sixth is a good trainer. The last two are extremely important, since a good horse needs the right owner to see it through, plus the trainer with the right rapport and talent to bring out the best in the horse. All these characteristics need to combine if a horse is to excel," adds Bob.

"This business tends to focus too strongly on the negatives rather than the positives, and I would like to see that change. So many times we focus on what is wrong instead of what is right about a horse, without taking into consideration the horse's structure as an individual."

The perfectionist in Bob requires his horses to be well presented in the show arena, and that means not only trained and ridden well, but prepared aesthetically as well. From the tack to grooming to the rider's apparel, the total picture must be one of good taste with an air of confidence. Again, attention to even the smallest detail is what makes Bob such a tough and successful competitor.

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"It's a crazy world sometimes," says Kathie, "but we wouldn't have it any other way. We're in it because we love the horses."

Often when clients come to ride or visit their horses, they make a mini vacation of it, spending two or three days enjoying all there is to see and do in the area. There are several lovely resorts around the lake, and all sorts of activities beckon in addition to their lessons at Vallejo III.

What's next for Vallejo III? Kathie and Bob see their family as being an important part of the future, although it is entirely up to Audrey as to whether she will continue with the horses. They are there for her if she chooses, and from the enthusiasm in Audrey's voice when she talks about riding, it is easy to imagine the next generation of Vallejo III getting ready to take the reins.

"There are always new goals and challenges to meet," says Kathie, "and we intend to continue breeding better and better horses, and to continue to refine and enhance our program. We take pride in what we have accomplished, yet always keep striving to raise our standards. Neither of us are ever sedentary or content ... there is always more to achieve." Bob chuckles and says, tongue-in-cheek, "When I'm ready to retire from public life, do you think anyone would put up a fuss if I applied for my amateur card?"

Whatever the future holds, the team at Vallejo III has the talent, focus and dedication to continue its winning ways. Vallejo's influence on the Arabian horse will be felt for generations to come.