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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