TEMNEB8E6 WALKING H 4 OtRSE FEBRUARY, 1964
WALKING HORSE WEST
( Continued From Page 34) than he could count. He spent most of his boyhood in and around the suburbs of L. A.. becoming a plumber as a young man. and is still a plumber. He left Los Angeles in 1943, and worked his way along the Coast, on construction jobs as a plumber for the U. S. Government. under contract, until he landed in Vallejo. California. He lived there until 1948. when he moved to Sacramento and set up his plumbing business, known as Robert’ s Plumbing Co.. Inc., at 5127 Franklin Boulevard. He is still located in the same spot. Bob is married and has two fine children, a married daughter and a ten year old son, Tom.
Bob was not born a farm boy, actually he didn’ t really know what a farm was. He wasn’ t interested in ranching particularly, only, as he himself puts it,“ I just wanted to own a large piece of land.”
A RANCH COMES INTO BEING
In 1962 he purchased his Targe piece of land’ known as the Jacobson Ranch located on Northgate Boulevard north of Sacramento approximately 10 miles. This was an estate sale, being that the owner had been killed in the crash of his light plane. After he became owner of the ranch, he leased the ground to a dairyman who was raising replacement heifers. Soon after his purchase, he bought his first horse, an Arab-Quarter pinto mare in foal to a registered Walking Horse. He now owns ten head of horses, mostly registered TWH. His second horse came about in an unusual manner. It seem that there were several pieces of furniture in the ranch house that he was making a bid on. One piece in particular was a Grandfather’ s clock. Through some mix-up of heirs, legalities, a training bill, etc., he wound up with two registered mares, minus the Grandfather’ s
clock. There was a large Quarter Horse gelding on the ranch that was traded for a grade, bald-face Walking Horse mare. Then it seems that there was a matter of rent that was due and payable from the training barn located on a section of the ranch property operated by Leonard Dunn. The rent due, no money available, so—- Mr. Robert’ s found himself the owner of three more registered Walkers, all mares, by GO BOY’ S SHADOW. MIDNIGHT McKAY and BEARDS’ ALLAN. All of these mares are kept with foal, being used for pleasure and equitation. All total, Mr. Roberts owns ten horses, including two stud colts, one registered. He took first place in a half-Walker colt class with his half-bred Walker‘ DIXIE REBEL’ and third place with his registered colt, REBEL ' S JEEPERS CREEP ERS in October 1963. This was his first experience of this type, and will not be the last. Both of the above colt’ s were sired by the REBEL J. All of his mares are now in foal to both REBEL and CHEYENNE THUNDER. He is looking forward to a good crop of fine colts.
Is he enthusiastic about the Walking Horse? Yes! He joined and became a charter member of the Northern California Tennessee Walking Horse Association, began attending all Walking Horse shows, and has decided to do a little showing in halter classes himself.
The old ranch house is being torn down, in preparation to build a new one in which‘ Bob’ Roberts and his lovely family will reside. At present, they are living in the city of Sacramento, but now he feels that since he suddenly found himself in the Walking Horse business he should live on the ranch and build it up. There are 160 acres of beautiful rolling land with which he can do this, so. with high hopes of a bright future, the Roberts’ family is looking forward to a happy 1964. He should prove, beyond a doubt, to be a big boon to the world of the Tennessee Walking Horse.
Next on the list is Marvin B. " Mack " McCaleb. A devoted Walking Horse man who has been‘ kicking’ around for a long time. He, too, belives in the Walking Horse.
A HORSEMAN FROM ' WAY BACK WHEN
“ MACK McCALEB... Fair Oaks, California, a devoted Walking Horse enthusiasts who lauds the stamina and gaits of the breed.
“ I have been an equine enthusiast since my childhood in Texas, where I learned to ride horses at a very tender age, packing a sack of wheat, bareback, to the mill to be ground into flour with one-fourth going to the miller for grinding and the other three-fourths going back home for those good old fashioned biscuits for breakfast. I moved to California in 1917 and lived around thickly populated areas where I was not in a position to keep animals for a number of years. Finally, in 1944, I moved to my present address, 8127 Plumeria Avenue, Fair Oaks, California, buying ten acres where I could keep livestock. It wasn’ t long before there was a horse for each member of my family; my wife, Vera and my two daughters,
Sharon and Kathy. Cross-breeds
The horses we have owned since 1944 have all consisted of mixed blood lines, although unregistered, they were of good stock, with one exception. This was a Morab gelding which was registered in the Arabian Stud Bood. In August of 1960 I became interested in the Tennessee Walking Horse breed,
and could not resist the temptation of ownership. I purchased a three year old mare from the Leonard Dunn Tennessee Walking
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