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“Bob(Brawley) taught
“I was in college about a week, and Enter Mary Gatti. John Bragg was
was so happy when a lady offered me a the top show rider then, and Patrick was
me a lot in that time
‘riding’ job in Aachen, Germany. It was hired to stay home and keep the lessons
the chance of a lifetime to me then so I going. When John went on to his own
about riding and went. AND I got to clean more stalls- business, the opportunity that Patrick
teaching. BUT the
lots of stalls, fill hay lofts with big bales, had dreamed about opened up: a chance
fed and groomed all the horses, kept to show good horses. Mary assigned
biggest thing he
the stable tip top clean…and THEN I him to the side of the show ring when
got to ride. I lived in an 800-year-old, he was not on a horse. In order to really
taught me was to converted monastery where it was dark, have Patrick ‘see’ how top hunters are
NOT make excuses;
cold and damp, but I didn’t care. It was ridden, Mary insisted he watch Cindy
a year of extremely grueling work, but I Brooks, Hap Hansen, Linda Gatti Sears,
just be determined
got to show a lot too.” and so many other top riders.
Deciding he really wanted to find a job
to get better at what
in Southern California, Patrick returned
you are doing. I am
to Canada. He started a road trip that
“...Mary(Gatti) gives
would eventually, and inadvertently, take
so appreciative of
him to Rainbow Canyon Ranch and
me the freedom to go
that lesson and it has
Mary Gatti. On his drive south, with
forward. She is always
no prospects in mind, he stopped to
helped me to this day.”
visit friends in Oregon. Bob and Judy
available so I know I
Brawley put him on as a working student
riding and doing all the farm things farm
have support at any
owners do.
time. She is the heart
“Bob taught me a lot in that time
about riding and teaching. BUT the and soul of what I do,
biggest thing he taught me was to NOT
make excuses; just be determined to
and I really love that.”
get better at what you are doing. I am
so appreciative of that lesson and it has “THEN I got the show rides! First
helped me to this day. To stop making it was Chocolate Kiss, owned by Prima
an excuse why something can’t be done, Martini, that gave me a ‘leg up’ to riding
and just go find a way to do it is huge!” successful hunters. That horse was so
Laughing a deep and contagious laugh easy to find a distance on, and it made me
he went on, “They actually helped me look good. From there it is a wonderful
get back on my way south. I think they blur and I have been lucky to have great
were really glad to assist my dreams and horses all the time. Top Billing, Second
get me on the road again since I had Wind, Couer D’alane, Estrella, Milano,
broken or wrecked just about all of their Leopold, Solar Kingdom, Bremen,
farm equipment, including crashing the Cousteau, Ragtime, Zephreus, Maurice,
family car while simply driving it across and so many others on the way to the
the road. I think it had to do with the most recent ones, Rule the Roost, Say
preservation of their farm to be sure I Uncle, Sin City, Brooklyn, Clever Z,
got back headed south.” Voltaire Star, Godspeed, Promises to
Keep, Brooklyn. WOW, the list is so
amazing,” he says with a bit of humble
surprise. cont. next page
This Page:
Top: Patrick showing an “unidentified” horse around
1980. Bottom: Judy Martin presenting Patrick Spanton
with a ribbon with Second Wind. Second Wind won a
Low in the Green Working Divisions - about 1993
Next Page:
Top: Patrick Spanton showing Couer D’alene at Indio
when it was all on grass - around 1997. Middle: Patrick
Spanton winning the IHF Regional Grand Championship
with Zephyrus owned by Heidi Kim. Bottom: Patrick
Spanton with his parents in Canada
42
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