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The Farm
It's 6 a.m. The sun is rising over the little town of Afton, Okla., located in a picturesque resort area set against the backdrop of the 17,000-acre Grand Lake of the Cherokees. A few miles south of town, a man stands quietly in the dawn, pensively surveying his farm and planning the day ahead. He is thinking about what needs to be done today, next week, and two years from now. The farm is Vallejo III. The man is Bob Hart Jr.
The 190-acre farm is owned by Bob and his wife, Kathie, and is home to a group of the finest horses the Arabian industry has to offer. One would be hard pressed to find another barn containing such a diverse and talented group of horses, from halter horses to working cow horses to park horses, and everything in between. Competing in this wide variety of events takes great attention to detail, and Bob Hart Jr. is a perfectionist. With an operation the size of Vallejo III, Bob likes to oversee things his way ... including personally examining every horse on the farm every day.
A FIRST-CLASS FACILITY WITH A STAFF TO MATCH
Pictured left to right: Dr. Marcotte, handles the medical and breeding duties at Vallejo III, Vallejo farrier Mike Proulx has been praised by farriers from coast to coast, Assistant Trainer Kiera Robinson, Office Manager Bette Mitchell.
The Vallejo facility has everything you could want in a top-class show and breeding facility, from the Bermuda grass pastures to the main training barn with its 80' x 200' indoor arena. The training barn holds 45 horses, with the office and visitor's lounge in front. Nearby is the 60-foot indoor heated bullpen, outdoor arena with French drain, stallion paddocks, grass turnout paddocks for the show horses on their days off, and at the very back of the training barn, you'll find the covered parking area housing the Vallejo III 15-horse streamliner van and Peterbilt truck. Past the training barn and paddocks is the Harts' home and a five-stall barn housing Kathie's personal show horses. The balance of their personal stock resides in the sheltered pastures.
The outstanding staff at Vallejo III runs like a well-oiled machine, with each person aware of and responsible for their duties. Bob likes to see to it that each person has his or her own set of responsibilities with no overlapping or confusion, since this enables him to immediately pinpoint who is responsible if a job is not done or is done incorrectly. He encourages the staff to help one another, yet each is ultimately liable for their own duties. This system contributes greatly to the overall efficiency and smoothness of operation that surrounds the farm.
By 7:30 a.m., activity in the training barn is bustling. A board outlining the day's training plans lists each and every one of the 45 horses in residence. Each groom is always assigned to the same six or seven horses, enabling the grooms to be aware of subtle changes before they become problems.
The staff at Vallejo III consists of an outstanding group of dedicated people. The friendly voice you hear on the phone is Bette Mitchell, Vallejo III's office manager. She began showing Arabian horses as an amateur with Bob, and won her first national championship on the mare Negaseyns Emerald, whom Bob also showed to the National Western Pleasure Open title. Bette's familiarity with Vallejo as an amateur rider made for an easy transition when she joined the staff in 1994.
General farm maintenance and repair is handled by Tom Ash, who has been with Vallejo III since 1991. Tom also takes excellent care of Bob and Kathie's personal horses, including foaling duties, caring for broodmares, and halter breaking the babies.
A LIFETIME WITH HORSES
Multi-National Champion Rohara Moon Storm is a sire of National and regional champions in halter and performance. |
Bob Hart Jr. says he grew up at horse shows. He can't remember a time when he was not busy helping his dad. Well known trainer Bob Hart Sr. was noted for his park and English horses, and during the 40 year span of his career, showed some of the greats -- *Oran Van Crabbet, *Aramus, Seahorse Duke Dorsaz, and *Zbrucz. Bob laughingly says that when he was training with his dad, he made a conscious decision to excel with Western horses, since his dad got all the good English prospects.
Growing up in Ohio, Bob was surrounded by top people in all breeds. Distinguished trainers such as Stretch and Clark Bradley, Dale Wilkerson, and Doug Lilley imparted freely of their knowledge. Even the 4-H group Bob belonged to was highly competitive. If he wanted to win, he had to be better than just good, and notes that during his teenage years, he always had 15-20 horses to work after school. He also rode horses through sale barns to earn extra money. Rodeo and calf roping also appealed to Bob, and he says the lessons he learned from the variety of equine events he's participated in have played a major role in making him into the trainer he is today. He comments that he probably made a regular nuisance of himself when he was younger, always wanting to learn everything he could from anybody who would take the time to teach him. Bob was winning at the Nationals while he was still in high school, riding Lewisfield Nizzo to two top tens. His first national championship came in 1970 on the Western pleasure horse Lewisfield Magic. Following those beginning successes comes an impressive list of wins, including an unprecedented group of national championships. In three out of the last four years, Bob Hart Jr. has ridden the U.S. National Champion Purebred Western Pleasure horse and has won these titles on three different horses! His horses have been top ten or better every year for the past 14 years, with the exception of 1984 when his father, Bob Hart Sr., was one of the judges and Bob Jr. could not show. At the Canadian Nationals, 50 percent of the open Western championships since 1989 have been won by Vallejo III, again all on different horses.
Kathie and Bob have been very active in the International Arabian Horse Association, serving on several committees as well as both being lifetime members of IAHA and the American Horse Shows Associations. Kathie is quick to mention that participating in these organizations is a major goal of hers and Bob's, since it is a way to give something back to the business that is so much a part of their lives.
Both Bob and Kathie have been honored at the prestigious Arabian Horsemen's Awards, with Kathie winning the Female Amateur Award twice, as well as being nominated for Horsewoman of the Year. Bob has won the Western Trainer of the Year Award twice and has been an "R" judge since the mid-'70s. This must run in the family; Bob Hart Sr. was also honored as a Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
Talented amateur Kathie Hart comes by her love of horses naturally. Herman Cornell, Kathie's great-grandfather, was a rancher in Texas and raised Arabian horses, with his brand eventually finding its way into Bazy Tankersley's Al-Marah herd as some of her foundation broodmares. The original Vallejo Ranch was a working cattle ranch, located in Cimarron, N.M., and was founded by Kathie's grandparents, who used Arabians as their working ranch horses. The Vallejo name carried on into the next generation with Kathie's mother, Dickie Simpson. She and her husband, Bill, established Vallejo Ranch in Chelsea, Okla., and both Dickie and Bill competed in the working and Western divisions. From these early days at Vallejo came such champions as Zubraffa (Niran Ibn Indraff x Zubreiya), winner of 16 national titles in cutting; and AM Silversparrow (*Silver Vanity x *Blue Millet) shown by Dickie Simpson to the title of 1967 U.S. National Western Pleasure Champion. Both these mares have gone on to greener pastures, but have left their legacy at Vallejo III through their produce. Multi-National Champion Working Cow Horse Bar-Fly (by Fadloren) is out of Zubraffa and Vallejo Contessa, by Khemosabi and out of AM Silversparrow, has produced several national winners for Vallejo III. Also out of Silversparrow is the champion producing mare Vallejo Sable, who is in foal to Rohara Moon Storm.
Kathie has been showing since the age of 3 and attended school in Maryland, where she learned to ride, show and appreciate hunters. She won her first national championship in stock seat equitation back in 1969, and has continued her winning ways in many divisions, including Western pleasure, hunter pleasure, park, English pleasure, and working cow horse. Kathie says her first really big win was in 1982, on her mother's horse Dargario, a son of *Cytrys. With Kathie riding, he was named Buckeye Open Western Pleasure Champion, and Canadian National Western Pleasure Open and AOTR Champion; it was a truly special moment for her, and even more so since she had lost her mother that same year. It is important to note the longevity of the Vallejo horses; Dargario was pulled out of retirement at the age of 16 and ridden to these wins!
Bob and Kathie's daughter, Audrey, loves the atmosphere at Vallejo III. Enthusiastic and talented, she enjoys many sports, including track and basketball, in addition to her riding. She is also an active 4-H member. Inheriting Kathie's love of the history and pedigrees of the Arabian horse, Audrey can often be found in front of her computer monitor, studying the Arabian Horse Bookshelf to learn more about the horses. "Mom is an excellent hunter pleasure teacher," says Audrey, "and Dad helps me with Western, which is my favorite class to ride. There's just something about the way the Western horses go ... I just love it!" At shows, she can most often be found following Bob, and intently watches as he teaches.
"Just how much she has learned from watching us ride and win at horse shows became evident during her first hunter pleasure walk-trot class at Youth Nationals on her Half-Arabian pony, Lady Sheeba," Kathie says, "where Audrey rode like a pro, very aggressively, setting up her passes and using the ring to her advantage. Bob and I were amazed and surprised, since we hadn't formally coached her on any of this ... she just picked it up from watching. It was a very special moment and one I'll never forget."
Kathie's days at Vallejo are hectic, since she is constantly switching hats, as she fondly refers to her duties as a mom, a wife, and a horsewoman. Much of her time revolves around Audrey's extracurricular activities, as well as spending time with the steady flow of customers coming and going from the farm. Kathie tries to fit in as much time with her horses as she can, which usually amounts to a couple of hours a day. Occasionally she gets in a little more time with them, if she's lucky.
A NEW ERA OF BREEDING
 Carrying on the generations-old Vallejo tradition of breeding top quality Arabian horses, an important step for the Vallejo breeding program has been the acquisition of Rohara Moon Storm. He represents the next phase of the program and, so far, his foals are more than living up to the expectations of their breeders, winning National and regional championships in both halter and performance. Rohara Moon Storm has been National Western Pleasure Champion, Reserve National Hunter Pleasure Champion, National Champion Western Pleasure Junior Horse, and National Top Ten Futurity Stallion. He comes by his talent naturally, with a pedigree that reads like a who's who of Arabian horses. His sire, Moonstone Bey V, is a son of the immortal Bay-El-Bey, and is out of the Khemosabi daughter, Moska, herself a granddaughter of Bay-El-Bey's sire, Bay-Abi, through her dam, Baychatka. Rohara Moon Storm's dam is the exquisite U.S. National Champion Mare Rohara Tsultress, a daughter of Rohara's foundation mare, Emenee (*Aramus x Diamindita), and sired by top producer Ivanhoe Tsultan (Ivanhoe Tsatan x Hillcrest's Bint Imaraff).
So far, Rohara Moon Storm+// get have won 16 National Champinships and 11 National Reserve Championships.
Both cooled and frozen semen are available from Rohara Moon Storm and the other stallions standing at Vallejo III. In fact, Whit Byers of Select Breeders Southwest's Mobile Cryopreservation Lab visits the farm once a year to collect and freeze semen from the stallions at the farm.
Kathie is quick to note that she really knows her broodmares, especially since they are the product of generations of Vallejo breeding. She can tell you the strong and weak points of each mare as well as how they will cross, and emphasizes that knowing your mares and being objective is critical to the success of any breeding program.
Recently, a new dimension was added to the already successful program. Bob and Kathie have crossed their Arabian mares with top Quarter Horse bloodlines, most notably Zippo Pine Bar. For those unfamiliar with Quarter Horse bloodlines, Zippo Pine Bar has done for the American Quarter Horse Association Western division what *Bask did for the Arabian English division. Vallejo has a 4-year-old gelding by Zippo Pine Bar, as well as a 4-year-old filly by Zip's Chocolate Chip, a direct son of Zippo Pine Bar. These exciting young horses are the beginning of a new era in Half-Arabian Western pleasure horses, as they are bred specifically for the job and have the very best of both worlds in their pedigrees. Kathie notes that Vallejo has never followed fads in their breeding program, instead choosing their own path with great success.
Kathie enjoys seeing horses with the Vallejo name go on to win for their new owners as well, and comments "Whenever I watch that national championship blanket of roses being laid across a Vallejo horse's shoulders, I see little flashbacks and memories of that horse as a foal playing in the pasture, and remember the history behind each one of them. They are such a part of me." She laughingly recalls making the victory pass at Nationals on Vallejo Eclipse. Once the ribbons and roses were on, Eclipse started bucking and kicking -- kind of their own little celebration.
A WEALTH OF RIBBONS
 Those national championship ribbons are a familiar sight to the Vallejo team, who has collected 50 national championships, 23 reserve national championships, and well over 200 top tens. With so many wins, it is hard to pick one that stands out above the rest. Bob mentions the U.S. National Western Pleasure Championship with Rohara Moon Storm as being especially memorable. "Most of the time, when I ride a class, I have a pretty good idea whether or not I've ridden it well enough to have a shot at winning it," says Bob, "and it was no different with the ride on Rohara Moon Storm. What makes this win stand out for me is the fact that it is the first win I've ever had on a horse that I owned. After all these years, I finally know how my customers feel when I win with their horses. It's special." Kathie agrees, saying "Probably the most memorable win for me was the first time I won the Working Cow Horse class at the Nationals on Vallejo Cypress, a third generation Vallejo bred horse ... it was like a dream come true for me."
It's a long road from the breeding shed to victory lane at the Nationals, and it all starts with swinging a leg over for that first ride. Kathie particularly enjoys those rides on their young, Vallejo-bred horses, mainly because she knows the breeding and potential so very well, and often has shown the sire, dam and full siblings to national titles.
Bob emphasizes that every time he gets on a horse, whether it's the first time or the thousandth, he pauses for a moment to make sure he is tuned in to the level of that individual animal. "If it's an A+ horse, I'd better be an A+ rider, or else the horse will get ahead of me," states Bob matter-of-factly.
THOUGHTS ON TRAINING
When the Vallejo show team hits the road, the days get longer. Often rising at 3 a.m. to work all the horses before the show starts, Bob says he is definitely a morning person. Working each horse early in the day gives him an idea of where the horse is mentally, and allows him to fine tune as needed to put the horse into the appropriate frame of mind for the class. The Harts are usually not found socializing at shows. Bob feels they are there to do the job the clients are paying for, and that is to do the best they can with the horses. They are not being paid to party. When scheduling allows, there is occasionally time for dinner with friends and customers, but that only happens when they are finished preparing the horses and know they are ready to show at their peak.
 The entire Vallejo team, from grooms to amateurs to owners, is a strong support system. Everybody is there to watch each horse from the farm, and cheer the riders and horses on. Bob notes, "Many of our clients are long term because they are treated well. We try very hard to be like one big family group. Everybody roots for everybody else, and a win belongs to everyone. A win is truly a group effort."
There is a common thread between the top trainers. They do the basics well, and do them thoroughly, never skipping a step or slacking off. Bob denotes the difference between a horseman and a trainer: "A trainer makes a horse do tricks rather than imparting long-term knowledge to the horse," states Bob, "while a horseman has empathy for the horse and can work within the horse's natural instincts as well as training it. The easiest way to differentiate between a trainer and a horseman is to ask yourself 'Would I let this trainer take care of my horse -- not train it -- just care for it?' Too many young trainers want to do the tricks without paying their dues and truly becoming horsemen. It all takes time, focus, and genuine understanding of the horse."
Bob has some very definite ideas about training and his philosophy. Quite simply, he feels that if you don't take the time to get inside a horse's head and find a way to affect the way he thinks, there is no way you will have any real lasting success in training his thought patterns to understand what you're asking him to do. Additionally, he puts great emphasis on not rushing the training process. He does not work for owners who tell him what a horse should do and how long he has to get the job done, since that is against his training philosophy.
"It takes a minimum of 90 days to get a horse to the point where I can safely evaluate the direction the horse's career should take," says Bob. "Sometimes we have to send a horse home before the 90 days are up. If we feel like we're wasting the owner's money, we flat out tell them so. Most horses make it through the evaluation stage, and from there I will advise the owners as to the next steps in their horse's career. If the owners listen, and chose to give me the time to do the job right, I'll make a good horse for them. If they choose to do otherwise, that's fine too, since it's their money and their horse. I want people to think of me as a good horseman, not just a trainer or showman. It's important to take the time to bring out the best qualities in a horse, and I expect my horses to try their hearts out for me. In order to gain that kind of trust from a horse, I never ask for more than it can do. I've won a lot with less than great horses because they were able to give me that 110 percent. I treat every horse like it were national championship material, and the horses never quit giving."
THOUGHTS FROM OTHERS
What is it that makes Bob Hart Jr. and the horses he rides stand out in the show ring? Noted horseman Bob Battaglia says "I've known Bobby Hart since he was barely a teenager -- probably 25 years. He's a dedicated horseman, and most importantly, willing to learn and willing to share his knowledge with others. With both Bobby and Kathie, the horse comes first. They are totally dedicated to the horse, itself. They also do their homework, and their horses come to the shows prepared. Their presentation is always tops."
Battaglia recalls the first time he met Bob Hart Jr. "It was at a show, and with my background in the Saddlehorse business, we always kept everything in the aisles just so. We were stabled across from the Harts, and I was busy sweeping the aisles and cleaning tack. Mama Hart yelled at Bobby 'Look what they're doing -- you better get busy and sweep your aisle and get your tack cleaned too!'"
 Illinois trainer Brian Scoggins is impressed with Bob Hart's willingness to go outside of the breed to learn. He has known Bob for 20 years, and recognizes him as a fierce competitor with an intense desire to win. "He is all business," states Scoggins.
"I would much rather golf against Bob than show horses against him," says Western trainer Bill Porcher of Willow Brook Arabians, who regards Bob as a friend and an exceptional horseman. "One thing I really enjoy is sitting and discussing horses and training methods with Bob. I have really benefitted from Bob's knowledge and expertise; he has always been very willing to help or watch me school a horse."
Ed and Bobbi Stuckenhoff own Scottsdale Western Pleasure Champion Princess Huck V, and Ed notes that a large part of the reason Bob is so successful is that he believes in his training methods and never wavers from his system. "In the show ring, Bob knows what it takes to make a champion, and he rides with that in mind. When he goes into the ring, his one goal is to have the last circle the horse makes be a championship victory pass," states Ed. "Bob is good because he's driven. He works hard for his success."
Trainer Gene LaCroix has known Bob since the mid-60s and has a great deal of respect for both Bob and Kathie. Bob has given Gene assistance with Western horses, and Gene has reciprocated with the English horses. Gene is particularly proud of the fact that Bob bought a Western horse from him and notes that Bob is a real student of the pleasure horse. "He has developed it and set the standard for all of us to follow," says Gene.
Wendy Griffith of Ventura Farms has a great deal of admiration and respect for Bob Hart Jr. as well. She has spent some time working with Bob and was very impressed. "He has good methods of dealing with horses, and is a very good teacher with the rare ability to clearly explain his methods," Wendy says. "He also has a good relationship with his horses, not at all impersonal. Bob's horses go well because they're trained well. I've learned a lot from Bob, and am looking forward to learning more."
"Bob is a horseman's horseman," states Joe Betten. "He is a perfectly balanced combination of what I call 'doing' and 'being.' Doing refers to his drive and ambition, and being has to do with his total understanding of the horse. He is a great teacher."
Kim McAferty owns the double National Champion Kentucky Kisses, and states delightedly, "Just to own a horse like Kentucky Kisses has been a privilege, and being able to train and show under the tutelage of Bob Hart Jr. is an extra bonus. It was so gratifying to have Kentucky Kisses win both the amateur and the open Half-Arabian Western Pleasure Championships at the Canadian Nationals. We had worked so hard to get there, and it all paid off. Bob's enthusiasm and support as he worked with me and Kisses was the icing on the cake."
As a little girl beginning her show career, Michele Blackwell idolized Bob Hart Sr. and has known Bob Jr. forever, she says. "Bob is a standout because he has dedicated his life to the betterment of the Arabian horse. He takes training to a higher level. Bob has been there for me over the years. For example, this year at Canadian Nationals, I called Bob from the show, and he analyzed my problems, gave me sound advice designed to get me back on track with my horse, Lightnin' Strikes. The next thing I knew, we had won the reserve national championship. I'm proud to call him friend," states Michele.
"Bob and Kathie are super people," says client Susie Farmer. "I've known them for about eight years, and it has been a wonderful association. As a trainer, Bob is second to none, and as a teacher, he has the rare talent of being able to adjust to each person depending on the amount of pressure they can handle. He is always challenging me to do my best. I have a great deal of respect for both Bob and Kathie, not just for the wonderful way they treat their horses, but for the way they treat us, their clients."
THE VALLEJO III APPROACH
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."
THE MAKINGS OF A WESTERN HORSE
 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.
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
 "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.
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