Belonging to the Arabian Horse Association and traveling to shows around the country is a great lifestyle we invite you to share!
Our owners come from various backgrounds and regions with stories to tell, wisdom to share and a common ground of loving this great breed. We see each other's ads in the magazines and it is like a dream come true to get to the shows and see these fabulous horses in real life.
We salute our owners who are living their dreams, over coming challenges and always putting their game faces on for another horse show! If you are new to Arabian horses, enjoy our owners' stories... we hope you will join us!
Audie Bock owner of Gladiator Bey
Audie Bock has brought a blast of color to our barn with her beautiful tri colored Arabian pinto, Gladiator Bey. Part of the fun of the Arabian circuit is the versatility of the breed. There is a class to suit every personality.
Jon and Gaile Skiles
John and Gaile Skiles, owners of 2007Canadian National Champion MP Shivani++/.
Click here for full story.
Robin Yancey with Montana Thyme
Watsonville Show, July 2007
Robin Yancey, Yancey's Waterfall Ranch
This might look easy to you but for me it was one of the scariest things I have done since turning 60. Thankfully Jesse first taught me that horses are naturally non- aggressive and to relax with them. Getting over that, I decided that I was missing out in a lot of fun by not showing my colt. Fortunately Jesse is one of the most patient teachers ever as I tend to be rather impatient and impulsive.
After 2 lessons, I was ready for the ring in Watsonville (My idea). With my horse presented to me like he was ready for the cover of GQ, I knew I couldn't miss; after all, I had my best outfit on and my horse had done this before. I entered the ring; started running; but Montana stopped cold. I was so nervous that I would fall that I forgot and had the lead line too tight. Jesse was right there telling me that is OK, just loosen line just and walk in slowly. That done, I arrived at the judges!
The photo above shows me with my colt Montana Thyme (Pryme Thyme x Mystic Moves SA), only Montana's second show. He placed first, no thanks to me. As Jesse said, "While you were untangling yourself from the lead line and whip, Montana knew what he was supposed to do, and set himself up proud for the judges". Ahh, the innocence of a yearling. Montana is going out to pasture for a year to fully mature. I having conquered halter, am now taking up riding lessons as my next adventure. I want to ride Patriot at Nationals next year. (I am not telling Jesse)
I have never had so much fun in all my life, thanks to Jesse and Juana, my new friends at the barn and all the camaraderie that takes place there.
Who says life doesn't get better at 60?
Photos above show our intrepid Robin progressing in her riding lessons on Atall Patriot, US National Contender in Western Pleasure Jr. Horses with Jesse. Stay tuned to see Robin achieve her goal of qualifying for 2008 in her first year riding!!!
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Robin is an enthusiastic promoter of the Arabian breed and has a wrap on her RV promoting her ranch. Look for her at the RV parking lot and say hello!
Visit Robin on line at www.YWRanch.com
Margaret Pedri
Margaret Pedri and Jesse Saldana with Mountain Dancer MM
Mountain Dancer MM
Farnam/Platform Horse of the Year Region 3 Arabian Halter Champion
Owned by Margaret and Charles Pedri
Jim Shippers
Jim Shippers of Mi Lucero Ranch is headed for Nationals with his beautiful gray gelding above, Desperados Fame. He is also proud owner of the beautiful US Nationals Arabian Yearling Colt contender Mi Vaquero.
Jim tells us how he first met Jesse at US Nationals coming out of a halter class with a young colt. Jim asked about the horse and Jesse carried on the conversation with his arm resting over the back of the colt the whole time. Jim was so impressed with how happy and calm this halter horse was, he became a Jesse Saldana client and has enjoyed every moment.
The friendships made over the years are priceless. In 2005 Jim asked the Skiles if he could lease their beautiful mare MP Shivani++/ to breed to Ames Charisma. The Skiles agreed and in appreciation, Jim registered the resulting foal as Mi Vaquero SMA. The Saldana program is based on this kind of mutual appreciation and ability to work together. It's a great group of people and horses. MP Shivani++/ went on to bring Jesse his first National Championship in Western Pleasure of course, and on the video from the event you can hear the camera man say Jesse Saldana is one of the nicest guys in this business. I am really happy to see him win this. That remark is repeated by many people in the industry - everyone is thrilled to see Jesse win.
Roberta Dixon
Roberta Dixon with Mark of Shai
Jesse and I have been doing business together since 1990. People have asked how we met and what has kept us together in an industry with so much turnover. It is a bitter/sweet story.
I met Jesse when he worked for Dougherty Arabians where I was leasing a pleasure horse. When I reached a point in my life that I could buy my first horse, I asked Jesse to help me find him. I wanted a 6 or 7 year-old Khemo gelding appropriate for trail riding and wanted to spend no more than $6000.
While on a ranch call, I saw a bay horse and I instantly fell in love. So instead of my Khemo gelding, I bought a 4-year old Desperado V filly, Amanda Blake, a show horse at double my budget. I was a green rider with no show experience and she was a green show horse. A winning combination! But, at our first show, I won a first in my class the first time in the ring. This seemed like a piece of cake. But life has a way of pulling you up short.
Amanda got into an accident where she severed her hind suspensor ligament. Jesse immediately helped me get her to UC Davis, where they recommended that she be put down. They felt the 9 to 12 month rehabilitation was far too tedious and complicated for a novice owner to attempt and too expensive to be done at a medical clinic. However, she was my first horse and I couldn't let her go. Jesse said that he would do whatever it took to help me treat her. So our journey together began. It started with daily dressing changes from her hip to her hoof.
During the months of dressing changes, it was imperative that she not move or put weigh on her leg. The special splints to stabilize her leg causes sores so we were always fighting infections. Then followed many trips to UC Davis for sonograms and special shoes, first to keep her heel elevated and then to slowly lower it. Hours of hand walking a frisky 5-year old, which on many days was more than I could handle. I couldn't have done any of this without Jesse.
About a year later and more trips to Davis than I care to remember, she was literally back on her feet. I only sat on her once after the injury but we did breed her. And she produced a lovely foal. My first sale! However, the circulation in her leg never returned to normal and 3 years later, I had to put her down.
But Jesse, Amanda, and I had forged a bond that was based on trust, hard work and dedication. Jesse was always there for us and never let us down. Those are very rare and very special qualities. So why wouldn't I be here years later.
And, that was just the beginning of our journey. But that’s another story.
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