PHOTOS PROVIDED BY BILL LYON |
CPAs do !” Outside of work hours he began to study , and eventually he got his CPA license .
In 1975 , Bill joined a CPA firm in San Jose . Five years later the firm offered to make him a partner , but he wanted to be self-employed . The firm gave Bill the green light to take his clients with him , and he opened his own office in San Jose . He moved his business to Gilroy in 1992 .
“ Carolyn and I wanted to ‘ move to the country .’ Business was good , and aside from tax season , I could set my own hours . I was riding horses again , so this was a big plus . My family ’ s connection to Gilroy dated back to 1937 when my dad set up a medical practice here . He was one of only two doctors locally then .”
Winning a Silver Buckle Bill was also drawn to Gilroy because of its long history of ranching and horsemanship . His sport of choice was cutting , which celebrates the American West and the ranching tradition to hire cowboys who could work and sort cattle from the herd for branding or veterinary care .
There ’ s a kind of poetry in Bill ’ s description of cutting horse competition .
“ I put on my button-down shirt , my ‘ batwings ’ [ chaps ] and my cowboy hat . Then I ride my horse into the arena , eyes on the herd , ready to go . We ’ ve got less than three minutes to separate and work three cows from a gathered herd . We have to make at least one ‘ deep cut ’ into the herd , select a cow , and drive it away , against its natural instinct to stay with the herd . Once the cow is separated , I rest my rein hand on the horse ’ s neck and she takes over from there , anticipating and mirroring the cow ’ s every move to prevent it from returning to the herd .
“ Judges expect riders to enter the herd quietly , make a clean cut without disturbing the rest of the herd , and allow their horse ’ s agility , courage and style to come through while working the cows . If all goes well , we bring each cow to a stop in the middle of the arena and get the job done before the clock runs out .”
In 1985 Bill bought his first cutting
|
horse , Good Nus Girl . Later he bought Hickory Lena in Texas , and as he described it , “ we won everywhere we went .” In 1988 , he took Reserve World Champion in the National Reined Cow Horse Association Championship on Cal ’ s Sugar , a quarter horse mare trained by Billy Martin of Morgan Hill . The association was founded in Gilroy in the late 1940s to preserve the western cow horse tradition . It ’ s international .
In 1997 , Bill found himself “ a good cutting horse ” and brought home a prized silver buckle as a firstplace finisher at the National Cutting Horse Association ’ s ( NCHA ) World Championship . NCHA has more than 20,000 members , 2,000 shows a year , and $ 40 million in prize winnings .
Over the years , Bill has enjoyed working with his cutting horses , cultivating their “ cow sense ” and ability to control their movements with speed and athleticism . He has made many profitable horse sales , ‘ stood ’ two stallions ( for breeding ), and raised more than 20 foals at his small Gilroy ranch .
Rotary : A Father-Son Tradition More than three decades ago , Bill became a Rotarian like his father before him .
“ My dad joined Gilroy Rotary in the late 1930s . I remember going with him to a club event in the 1950s . I joined a San Jose club in 1981 and then the
|
Gilroy club after we moved here .”
To this day , Bill enjoys Rotary programs and Fun Fridays , “ pot luck style gatherings hosted by our gracious members .” Bill was also a member of the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce until he retired from CPA work in 2008 .
Keepin ’ It Real At 74 , Bill still rides several times a week . He ’ s got four horses and several cows on his ranch . There ’ s that familiar rush of adrenaline as he prepares for a little cutting work with Smarty Fletch , a bay-colored gelding quarter horse he brought home from Texas in 2013 .
“ We lope around the ring , do about 15 circles , then let the cows in and work them , one at a time . It ’ s still fun to feel the horse move underneath me . He knows his job , I just keep him correct .”
Watching horse and rider , it ’ s clear that Smarty Fletch is ready and willing to accommodate Bill ’ s wishes . Just two buckaroos out for a good time on a warm spring day .
|