America’s Horse, March 17, 2009 – Even if you don’t own cattle, you have to admit that turning a cow on the fence is about as “cowboy” as it gets. Add some sliding and spinning and you’ve got the makings of a couple of reining and working cow horse demonstrations with nationally recognized trainer Bob Avila at QuarterFest: A Celebration of the American Quarter Horse, May 1-3 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Born in 1951 in Half Moon Bay, California, the future world champion was the only child of Don Avila, a former rodeo cowboy turned professional horse trainer, and Pat Avila (now Pat Berry), an avid horsewoman who worked at a western store and modeled western clothing on the side. Don and Pat raised their son in the heart of the West Coast show circuit, in an era when its vaquero-influenced western trainers and their horses set the standard by which others elsewhere were measured.
Growing up, Avila’s idols were trainers Don Dodge, Tony Amaral Sr., Harry Rose Sr., Clyde Kennedy and Jimmy Williams. At the heights of their careers during the 1950s and '60s, these winning Californians influenced bloodlines, tack, riding styles and presentation methods in ways still apparent today.
“I’m sure a lot of other kids looked up to those horseman, too,” said Avila, “but thanks to my parents’ involvement with horses, I didn’t have to admire them from afar. I was around them almost constantly, at all the shows we went to. They helped raise me."
Avila acknowledges the advantage he gained from this exposure.
“I realize how lucky I was to have had those great horsemen as direct influences so early in my life. I know I absorbed things from each one, starting at a very young age, that otherwise would have taken half a lifetime to learn,” he said. “Plus, they were truly horseman. There was no such thing as specialization in their day. To survive as a trainer, you had to be able to train anything and everything, and they could. To this day, I enjoy producing a good all-around horse, and that comes partly from the influence of my childhood heroes.”
Avila also will play a part in the Extravaganza – the ultimate finale to a great day of education and learning at QuarterFest.
Besides Avila’s demonstrations, we’ll also feature four other AQHA Professional Horsemen and -women and two nationally recognized trainers: Julie Goodnight of Salida, Colorado; Curt and Tammy Pate, a husband and wife from Newell, South Dakota; Jeff Griffith of Gallatin Gateway, Montana; Christy Landwehr of Aurora, Colorado; and Bo Winslow of Estes Park, Colorado. The demonstrations are free for people to watch, but there will be a limited number of spots available for people to participate in clinics with their horses. Participation with a horse will be at an additional fee to general admission, so you’ll need to reserve your space in the clinics of your choice. Click here to buy your QuarterFest tickets.
However, there are unlimited opportunities to attend clinics without your horse. If you want to audit any of the clinics, your general admission ticket will cover entrance. Click here to see the tentative QuarterFest schedule.
QuarterFest is a three-day, education-packed celebration of the American Quarter Horse Association’s 68th anniversary where AQHA members and horse enthusiasts from around the world will gather in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, May 1-3 for fun, entertainment and festivities to honor the world’s most versatile horse – the American Quarter Horse. Our sponsors – Tractor Supply, B&W Trailer Hitches, John Deere, Justin Boots, Merial, Nutrena, Professional’s Choice, Bank of America, Montana Silversmiths, Farnam, Breyer, La Cense Montana, Priefert Ranch Equipment and Wrangler – share our passion for horses and are an integral part of QuarterFest.
AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal, The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal or America’s Horse, visit www.aqha.com/magazines.
