EQUINE ENTHUSIAST

WINTER 2017

FEATURES • GUEST COLUMNS • EVENT COVERAGE • COW CUTTING

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WINTER 2017

FEATURES BEN LONDO NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR.................................... 6 2017 CATTLEMEN’S WESTERN ART SHOW....................................... 8 ROCK ‘N’ RIDE.................................................................................. 10 FRANK AND LORETTA ESTRADA HONORED ................................. 12 2017 CATTLEMEN’S WESTERN ART SHOW..................................... 14 FOR THE LOVE OF RODEO...............................................................15 CAL POLY CELEBRATES 77TH ANNUAL POLY ROYAL RODEO...... 16 PASO ROBLES HORSE PARK............................................................. 18 CAL POLY DAIRY JUDGING TEAM................................................... 20 HORSETAIL RANCH...........................................................................22

LORETTA AND FRANK ESTRADA RECEIVE THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

from the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture on Jan. 28.

Read more on page 12.

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

GUEST COLUMNS LEE PITTS RANCHER’S RULES............................................................................24 CATTLE TRAITING.............................................................................27 HERTHA WOLFF-AREND MY LAND IS MY CASTLE................................................................... 26

FROM THE COVER BEN LONDO has led Cal Poly’s rodeo program since 2013 with much success. At right, the Cal Poly rodeo grounds in San Luis Obispo.

Read more on page 6.

HORSETAIL RANCH CELEBRATES ITS OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING

as a one-of-a-kind, rustic ranch resort in the superb wine region enveloped around Paso Robles and California’s Central Coast.

HorseTail Ranch welcomes visitors to nearly 150 acres of beautiful rolling hills with gorgeous views

Read more on page 22.

EQUINE E N T H U S I A S T ™

News Media Corporation/California Edition Published in conjunction with Paso Robles Press, Atascadero News, South County Newspapers and Register-Pajaronian. • www.ca.EquineEnthusiast.com

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WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

EQUINE E N T H U S I A S T ™ Publisher JOHN BARTLETT

ADVERTISING SALES SAN LUIS OBISPO SANTA BARBARA VENTURA COUNTIES:

Sheri Potruch 805-237-6060 ext. 123 spotruch@pasoroblespress.com Adriana Novack 805-466-2585 ext. 115 anovack@atascaderonews.com Joseph Harris 805-237-6060 ext. 124 jharris@pasoroblespress.com

ADVERTISING SALES MONTEREY COUNTY:

Sheryl Bailey • 831-385-4880 sheryl@southcountynewspapers.com

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SANTA CLARA & SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES: Tina Chavez • 761-7359 tinac@register-pajaronian.com Allison Stenberg • 831-761-7326 astenberg@register-pajaronian.com

Stan Angel 805-466-2585 ext. 108 sangel@atascaderonews.com

EQUINE E N T H U S I A S T ™

is a FREE quarterly publication. 15,000 copies are distributed throughout Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Monterey & Santa Cruz counties. It is available at feed and retail stores, event centers, hotels and other equine related businesses.

FROM the

Cover

CAL POLY RODEO DIRECTOR NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR BEN LONDO HAS LED COLLEGE RODEO PROGRAM SINCE 2013

By Sonja Eschenburg OF EQUINE ENTHUSIAST

L

ast summer, in his third season as the Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo rodeo coach, Ben Londo once again led his team to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) held at the Casper Events Center from June 12 through June 18.

Londo, 33, was named the 2016 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s Coach of the Year, an award that is voted for by all rodeo coaches

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from the West Coast region. It was presented by Ric Griffith, rodeo coach of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Londo, who rodeoed competitively for Cal PolySan Luis Obispo while earning his bachelor’s degree in construction management, started directing the rodeo program there in the fall of 2013 and has had student athletes qualify for the finals every year since.

Like most other college rodeo participants, Londo grew up around livestock. Originally from

Milton Freewater, Ore., he began riding at age 10 on his parent’s cattle ranch. Londo, who won the all-around title at the 2005 and 2006 CNFR, spent his rodeo career following in a long line of family tradition. In fact, his father, Ned, rode in college and professionally, eventually even reaching the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

“Rodeo’s been in my family for generations,” said Londo. “Growing up in the country, it’s so related to the work we do every day. It’s more than a sport, Continued pg 8 WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

Cal Poly rodeo athletes who qualified for last year’s (2016) CNFR. From left to right: Katie Rice, Megan McNnulty, Kayla Nichol, Colton Farquar, Wade Brown, and Coach Ben Londo.

Published by News Media Corporation | WINTER 2017

Ben Londo, left, and now Cal Poly alumnus Lane Santos Karney rebuild stalls.

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Continued from pg 6 it’s a heritage.”

Londo has made several notable changes to the program. Along with help from students, alumni, boosters, the community and, of course, Cal Poly-SLO faculty, he has managed to almost completely renovate the entire rodeo grounds. Since starting, Londo has installed new stalls, replaced the bucking chutes and even re-paneled the entire arena.

His contributions extend far beyond aesthetics, though. Cal Poly offers a prestigious education system as well as a competitive rodeo program, and Londo has made it his mission to raise scholarship funds for potential students.

“Students aspire to come here for the historic rodeo program,” he said. “The education is unmatched and the experience unbeatable. High school student athletes come here with 4.0-plus GPAs, incredible talent in the arena and full-ride scholarships to two or three other schools — and what we offer comparatively is peanuts. One of my personal goals is to bring this program to a level of being financially able to reward students that deserve to be here with a more adequate scholarship.”

Giving something extra has always been a part of Londo’s makeup. A professional rodeo athlete, husband, father and mentor, Londo demonstrates on a daily basis what it means to be not only a fierce competitor, but a good man, too.

“Ben is energetic and enthusiastic,” said fifth-year animal science student and rodeo athlete Tim Ditrich, adding that Londo’s work ethic coupled with an earnest desire to help students succeed has already made a lasting impression. Negative is simply not a part of his vocabulary.

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Cal Poly rodeo athletes work on re-welding new arena panels.

New donated bucking chutes.

WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

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ROCK ‘N’ RIDE PASO ROBLES NATIVE CREATES BLUETOOTH SPEAKER DESIGNED FOR HORSEBACK RIDERS

By Luke Phillips OF EQUINE ENTHUSIAST

A

fter a particularly rough period in her life, Paso Robles native and Cal Poly graduate Leah Lane was doing a lot of two things: riding her horses and communicating with friends and family, and often both at the same time. But it wasn’t easy trying to talk on the phone and control a horse at the same time and Lane’s frustrations with the situation led her to invent a new product

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specifically designed for horseback riders who need to stay in touch.

“I really needed a way to talk to people without fumbling and dropping my phone,” Lane said.

“So I had this crazy idea on the trail. I was riding a young horse on the trail and I just needed a way to not have to fish out my old-school blackberry and I’m like ‘how about a speaker that goes anywhere on any saddle or any person’s arm and not just that — not just a phone and not just music. You can set timers, set reminders and send text messages to let people know you’re OK.” Lane spent years working on perfecting her product, going through 25 different redesigns and working on tracking down and negotiating with a manufacturer before releasing her first product, the iRockNRide in 2010.

The 3-and-a-half-inch by 1-and-a-half-inch bluetooth speaker comes with a universal strap that can be used to anchor the device to virtually any saddle or riding rig. The device features a set of five simplified buttons that are easy to push even when wearing gloves and can be used to control volume, pause/play functions, skip music tracks, answer calls and more when paired with a smartphone. The device is also hands free, using Siri, Google Now, Amazon’s Alexa or another voice-activated service.

“You can get music anywhere and you can get a

phone anywhere,” Lane said. “But a way to not have your ears clogged up or your hands tied up while you’re riding or your eyes diverted while you’re riding? That’s huge. The big thing is that you can have something accessible if you, God forbid, have to call 911 — you just press a button, you don’t have to fish your phone out of five zippers in your bag, take your eyes and hands off your reins… you can do everything, within reason, that your smartphone does, based off of the speaker.”

Lane said that she is an equestrian and every one of the team members that helped her develop the product are equestrians and she made the product to help keep fellow riders safe.

“If people have their ears clogged up (with earbuds), they can’t hear,” she said. “And, if they don’t have that, they’re looking down, pulling their phone out of their pocket, fumbling around, trying to text message and it’s a hazard.”

In addition to serving as a speakerphone, the speaker also provides exceptional audio quality for music, Lane said, calling it “the world’s smallest speaker with the biggest sound.”

“I was very particular with how I made it, with very good sound,” she said. “The music is cool for the horses. It provides a nice, white background noise that most of them dig.”

The iRockNRide retails for $129 and is now WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

available in 30 different countries and retailers all over the United States. Locally, it is available at Whitehorse Tack in Paso Robles and at Riding Warehouse in San Luis Obispo. Normally it’s also available through the iRockNRide website at horsespeaker.com, but Lane said she’s currently sold out after a particularly successful Christmas sales season. The device should be available on the

website again in late February and will feature new prints and colors.

“There’s nothing else like it,” Lane said. “You can use it on a golf cart, you can put it on your arm, people put it on their car, it attaches anywhere. I didn’t invent the world’s first hands-free device, I just made the way that it goes easily on anything.”

Lane is currently hard at work designing the next

generation of the iRockNRide, which will feature two-way radio functionality for times when a mobile signal isn’t available and a solar panel that will charge not only the speaker, but smartphones as well.

For more information on the iRockNRide bluetooth speaker, visit horsespeaker.com or e-mail info@irocknride.com.

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WATSONVILLE VOLUNTEERS EARN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Photo by: Tarmo HANNULA Loretta and Frank Estrada (left) receive the Lifetime Achievement award from Judy Doering-Nielsen and Stan Nielsen.

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

W

atsonville residents Frank and Loretta Estrada were honored with the Lifetime Achievement award from the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture on Jan. 28.

Together with friends, they helped form the California High School Rodeo Association where Frank served as director and Loretta as secretary of the district. They served side-by-side for decades helping the Agricultural History Project with Frank serving several times as director and Loretta as secretary. They were the first members of the Santa Cruz County Fair Heritage Foundation, where they volunteered many years helping put on many events, dinners, fundraisers and have donated countless hours every year to the organization.

They have each served on the Board of Directors for the Santa Cruz County Cattlemen’s Association.

Frank served a term as president and Loretta as secretary. Frank has been a director for the California Cattlemen’s Association. Together, they have been active in the Farm Bureau for over 30 years. Frank has served on the Board of Directors.

They have helped raise funds by giving tours of the ranch and helping organize the Progressive Dinner and Testicle Festival. In 1994, Frank was named the Farm Bureau’s Farmer of the Year.

Community involvement is something Loretta has been doing virtually her entire life.

“As a young girl, I would bake homemade bread

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for my parents’ church; it was something I was very proud of since I was only 8 years old,” she said.

“This was my first volunteer work.”

From that time on, she hasn’t stopped. The first organization she belonged to was the Salsipuedes Foot Hill Firefighters Association, during which she was director and secretary. In 1965, she began volunteering at the Santa Cruz County Fair. In 1986, Loretta was appointed by the Governor of California to serve as a director for the Fair Board and has remained in this position for 30 years.

Being part of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Loretta was the secretary for the Food Service Union and donated many hours supporting the union and keeping the food service within the district. While working at Salsipuedes School, she was involved with the Home and School Club.

“We enjoyed volunteering our time to have a Fall Festival and raised a lot of money for the school,” she said. “I would put on enchilada dinners, spaghetti dinners, cake walks and even planned ski trips for the students.”

In 1999, the Rodger’s House was donated to the Fairgrounds, and Loretta took on the task as chairwoman to raise funds to renovate the house and grounds. She continues this mission by giving tours and helps when there are functions at the house. For a few years, she was also involved with the Watsonville Woman’s Club, in which she helped with teas and fashion shows. Loretta was named Woman of the Year in 2003, and received the Paul Harris Award in 2004. Loretta also served on the

Community Foundation for two years.

As a young man, Frank was involved with the Future Farmers of America and loved volunteering his time at cattle round ups and ropings at different ranches in the area. As a member of the Santa Cruz Cattlemen’s Association, he used to judge bulls at the Stockton Bull Sale and at Hartnell College. For over 50 years, he has donated his time furnishing wood for many of the special events held throughout Santa Cruz County.

One of Frank’s passions is teaching others about ranching in the area, and during the Fair you will find him working at the Farm Bureau booth. Also during the Fair, he serves as weigh master for the cattle. Frank’s pride and joy is his ranch and he volunteers most of his life to sharing it with so many people, driving them around and being their guide.

Frank has a long history of involvement in the fire department. He served as director for the Salsipuedes Foot Hill Firefighters Association for many years and was involved in raising money to support the Salsipuedes Fire Department, which is now known as the Pajaro Valley Fire Protection District cooperative fire protection provided by Cal Fire. Frank served as Fire Commissioner for the Salsipuedes Fire District, and he has served for many years on the Fish and Game committee for Santa Cruz County. In 2009, he was chosen as an honorary member of the Santa Cruz County Deputy Sherriff’s Association.

WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

e g t z t r g t

t l o e e y . e e r o h n y r r r n y

Published by News Media Corporation | WINTER 2017

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LIFE IN THE WEST PASO ROBLES HOSTS 2017 CATTLEMEN’S WESTERN ART SHOW

This year’s Cattlemen’s Western Art Show is March 24 to 26 at the Paso Robles Event Center.

Contributed by: Dee PELLANDINI

Cattlemen’s Western Art Show founder and artist Larry Bees, who lived from 1932 to 2013

By Sonja Eschenburg OF EQUINE ENTHUSIAST

C

alifornia’s Central Coast is one of the most majestic and breathtaking areas in the world.

Filled with boundless natural wonders and awe-inspiring landscapes, those lucky enough to call it home and the countless visitors that travel through are amazed and inspired by its beauty time and time again.

The pioneer spirit runs deep all along the coast, especially throughout the Paso Robles community.

Through hard work and determination, the drive to face and overcome obstacles, sense of unity and family and the desire to preserve heritage and tradition, Paso Robles has managed to uphold the everlasting spirit of a western lifestyle.

This spring Paso Robles will once again celebrate the western way of life with the much anticipated Cattlemen’s Western Art Show.

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Founded by Larry and Jackie Bees in 1991, the first-ever Cattlemen’s Western Art Show was held in the Madonna Barn in San Luis Obispo. This year’s 27th annual event, however, will take place in Estrella Hall at the Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Ave. Scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 25, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 26, the show will feature western- and landscape-themed artwork by artists from both near and far, said Dee Pellandini, event coordinator.

Pellandini, who has been involved with the Cattlemen’s Western Art Show for the past 11 years after the founders moved to Utah and Larry unfortunately passed away, believes this show is unique for more reasons than one.

“The show features all original art never seen in the area prior to the show,” Pellandini said. “All mediums — from acrylics, bronze, glass, leather, oil,

pastels, pencil, scratchboard, as well as sculptures — must be original work.”

Collectors, whether just starting out or more seasoned, will have the opportunity to personally meet with artists one on one and better understand the motive and dialogue behind their often contagious passions.

This year’s exhibit, with over 400 pieces available, will showcase work by multiple notable artists.

Among the objects on view are Vel Miller’s paintings and sculptures that portray emotional views of the West, as well as watercolor pieces by Don Weller, who, throughout his career, has created cover pieces for both Western Horseman and Time Magazine.

For more information, visit cattlemenswesternartshow.com or contact Dee Pellandini at 805-472-9100.

WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

FOR THE LOVE OF RODEO CALIFORNIA TEAM ROPER MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF

Team roping partners Dugan Kelly and Cody Snow Contributed Photo

By Sonja Eschenburg OF EQUINE ENTHUSIAST

C

hildren who grow up heavily involved in athletics often have high hopes for their future sports careers. Those big dreams aren’t all that unusual here on the Central Coast, especially for Cody Snow, a 20-year-old Los Olivos, Calif., cowboy who made those dreams come true.

“I am the youngest of six and was introduced to horses by my dad, Van, who many people used as their local orthopedic veterinarian,” Snow said. s Though his father died when he was just 13, Snow’s interest for horses was e already sparked and soon turned into y a very fueled passion. d It was not long before Snow became n involved with and entered in both California Junior Rodeo Association as , well as California High School Rodeo . Association events. Having made it s to the Junior High and High School l Finals several times, it was clear Snow y had the potential to continue on. d In 2015, Snow joined the Professional e Rodeo Cowboy’s Association. He ended his first season with nearly $68,295 in earnings and also was awarded the Rookie of the Year title in heading.

Snow and primary roping partner, veteran heeler Dugan Kelley, have

been roping together since Snow was a kid. They made it their mission to compete at the 2016 National Finals Rodeo (NFR) — not an easy feat, since the duo needed to win a significant amount of rodeos to secure their trip to Las Vegas.

Fortunately, they managed to not only win five rodeos in their home state at Industry Hills, Oakdale, San Dimas, San Francisco and Santa Rosa, but also earned championships in Deadwood, S.D., and Preston, Idaho. The last run that clinched their NFR qualification though, was at the infamous Pendleton Round-Up where they tied for first.

Snow and Kelley entered the 2016 NFR sitting in 12th place. Cody finished the average header standings in 14th place with $100,718 in earnings, while Dugan finished the average heeler standings in 13th place with $106,510.

While the finals may not have panned out in his favor, Snow enjoyed the ride.

“It was my childhood dream to compete at the NFR,” he said, “but it’s the simple love of the sport of rodeo that drives me to keep competing.”

With plenty of big dreams to reach, rodeo spectators are sure to see Snow walking into the Thomas and Mack arena one day again soon.

Published by News Media Corporation | WINTER 2017

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Cal Poly rodeo athletes sell tickets to last year’s rodeo on campus near Campus Market.

Contributed Photo

TO THE RODEO AND BACK CAL POLY CELEBRATES 77TH ANNUAL POLY ROYAL RODEO

By Sonja Eschenburg OF EQUINE ENTHUSIAST

T

Photo contributed by Rebecca Londo

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his year marks the 77th anniversary of Cal Poly’s historic Poly Royal, a college rodeo held every April during Cal Poly’s Open House weekend.

The Poly Royal Rodeo, rich in history and deeply rooted in tradition, is one of Cal Poly’s most revered events. In fact, Cal Poly boasts one of the best collegiate teams in the nation and is proud to present a world-class rodeo experience every time.

Ben Londo, a Cal Poly alumnus and the program’s rodeo coach since fall 2013, has made every effort to build a successful rodeo program. Londo, who

also rodeoed competitively in college, understands all too well the strengths and skills required of students both inside and outside of the arena. Under his guidance, students have better learned the importance of commitment to academics as well as practice.

Momentum for the rodeo program continues to grow annually, and 2017 is sure to be no different.

“The Poly Royal Rodeo has been held at the Cal Poly rodeo grounds for more than 70 years,” Londo said.

Although the rodeo grounds have experienced several notable renovations over the past few years with help from students, boosters and alumni, this year’s event, which is scheduled to be held April 7 and 8, will be relocated to

WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

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COMING SOON TO THE RAVA ARENA! 2016 Cal Poly Rodeo queen Sommer Boyd at one of her summer rodeos. the Alex G. Spanos football stadium.

The Alex G. Spanos Stadium, located near the corner of California and Highland, holds about 11,000 seats, allowing the number of spectators to nearly double in size from last year’s event.

“We are both excited and nervous about the move,” said fourth-year animal science student Christi Roberts. “It’s going to be very different from anywhere else most of us have ran horses, but (overall) I love running in new places.”

This year’s rodeo, which will include two evening performances

followed by a headline concert Saturday night, is expected to be the most popular event on campus during Open House.

Performing in the stadium will allow the student athletes a better opportunity to showcase their rodeo program’s abilities, and to prove that Poly Royal is truly the best college rodeo on the West Coast, said Roberts.

For questions or to sponsor the event, or to simply join in on the fun of this Western way of life, contact Coach Ben Londo at blondo@calpoly. edu.

Published by News Media Corporation | WINTER 2017

January-March January 28-29 February 4-5 February 18-19

Wednesday Night ACTRA Ropings!

Dynamite Prod. Roping Series SVF Barrel Race Ashley’s Journey Barrel Bash an SVF Fundraiser in memory of Ashley Marie Escobar

March 18

Miss Salinas Valley Fair Contest

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PASO ROBLES HORSE PARK CELEBRATES FIRST YEAR SUCCESSES OF ITS FOUNDATION

Paso Robles Horse Park Foundation presented $5,000 to Jack’s Helping Hand Little Riders to support the building of the new Equestrian Therapy Center at the Imagination Park in Nipomo.

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

A

t the beginning of 2016, the Paso Robles Horse Park began its foundation with a mission to promote accessibility to equestrian sports and activities to the local community, while raising funds to support handicapped and underprivileged children. Throughout the year and over the course of four schooling shows, the Paso Robles Horse Park Foundation gifted over $7,500 with the help of competitors, spectators and supporters.

During the Spring Fling Schooling Show in May, the foundation raised $2,190 for the Cancer Support Community with the Pink Wall Campaign.

This campaign challenged competitors to opt for a more intimidating jump option in order to accrue donations from pledges tied to the number of successful obstacle completions.

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In the fall, Jack’s Helping Hand Little Riders were invited to the Harvest Special Schooling Show to assist with course setting, hand out ribbons, enjoy a special hospitality area and take place in a spotlight presentation ceremony. During the ceremony, the Paso Robles Horse Park Foundation presented $5,000 to support the building of the new Equestrian Therapy Center at the Imagination Park in Nipomo.

As well as supporting these community organizations, the Paso Robles Horse Park Foundation is proud to bring equestrian show jumping, dressage and cart competitions to the region. They hosted four schooling shows in 2016; these shows offered an affordable outlet for over 400 entries of area riders to compete at a world-class facility. In addition to these schooling shows, the Park hosted four weeks of nationally rated shows with West Palms Events and welcomed over 1,000

entries.

“The Paso Robles Horse Park Foundation has had an amazing first year as a non-profit organization and it would not have been possible without the community’s support,” said Linda Starkman, park owner and foundation chairwoman. “We look forward to advancing our mission and growing our impact in the local community in the years to come.”

Guided by the Board of Directors — Linda Starkman, Dave Colmar, Cathy David, Kathy Collins and Dr. Claudia Sonder — and supported by competitors and fans, the park is thrilled to celebrate the success of this first year as a foundation.

For more information about the Paso Robles Horse Park Foundation and all upcoming 2017 events, visit PasoRoblesHorsePark.com.

WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

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CAL POLY DAIRY CATTLE JUDGING TEAM RANKS 2ND IN NATIONAL CONTEST CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

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he Cal Poly Dairy Judging Team took second place in the North American International Livestock Exposition Dairy Judging Contest in Louisville, Ky. Seventeen teams representing the top dairy college programs from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Idaho, Indiana and California competed in the 43rd annual North American International Livestock Exposition Dairy Judging Contest, held Nov. 1 through 17.

Cal Poly was the highest-ranking team in judging Holstein breed dairy cattle and in “reasons,” in which students must explain in detail why they ranked the cows as they did. The team placed fourth in all other breed categories, and all four team members placed in the top 12 high individual rankings overall.

Team members included sophomores Elise Regusci and Elisabeth Regusci, both from Modesto, and juniors Caitlin Lopes from Los Banos, and Alex Gambonini from Petaluma.

Cal Poly’s Dairy Cattle Judging Team is coached by dairy science Professor Rich Silacci.

The 43nd annual North American International Livestock Exposition is the world’s largest allbreed, purebred livestock exposition, with 10 different species of livestock competing over the

show’s 17-day run.

Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated

with feeding the world in sustainable ways.

Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including ranch land, orchards, vineyards and forests, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country, with 4,000 undergraduate students.

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WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

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nsurpassed in its sweeping beauty and state-of-the-art design, HorseTail Ranch combines the feel of the untamed west with luxurious creature comforts designed to create an unforgettable experience. HorseTail Ranch celebrates its official grand opening as a one-of-akind, rustic ranch resort in the superb wine region enveloped around Paso Robles and California’s Central Coast.

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Published by News Media Corporation | WINTER 2017

and large groups looking for that ideal place to celebrate a special occasion or just escape from the rat race. Newly constructed in 2015, the main villa is a 3,500-square-foot, elegantly modern residence featuring five bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths complete with opulent furnishings and a spacious, open design.

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Rancher’s Rules Guest Columnist

By Lee Pitts SO YOU WANT TO BE A RANCHER, HUH?

There is more to it than joining the cattlemen’s association, buying a hat and sitting at the coffee shop all day. These are the rules all ranchers must obey.

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1. You must be at least 59 years of age.

2. Membership is non-transferable. Once you start you cannot quit. There is only one exception to this rule.

(See rule No. 3.)

3. Membership may be canceled or revoked at any time without prior notice by your banker.

4. A rancher’s horse is his most prized possession. It should be a Quarter Horse, but a little Thoroughbred blood is acceptable. Under no circumstances should the rancher’s horse be a Peruvian Paso, Paso Fino or any of those foreign jobs that walk funny.

5. The rancher must own at least one cow or steer, preferably not of the Holstein variety.

6. Before you buy... beg.

7. Never take your wife to a bull sale.

8. Under no circumstances should you let your wife drive. If you do who is gonna open the gates?

9. Keep all work within the family.

10. Don’t expect kind words or praise. That will only come when your dead.

11. The rancher must drive a four wheel drive pick-up with at least two of the following in the bed.; a dog, empty beer can, broken shovel, rolled up ancient barb wire, broken float valve, horse halter, sack of feed, flat tire, baler twine or a broken plastic sorting paddle.

12. A rancher should feel undressed wearing anything other than a pair of Wranglers or Levis. None of those pants with pleats or darts in the front are allowed. I think they call them Dockers. No real cowboy would be caught dead in something called Dockers.

13. A rancher must wear proper headgear at all times.

He or she only takes off his or her hat in two instances: at a funeral or when soliciting funds from the banker.

The rancher’s hat should either be of the baseball variety, a straw or a beaver hat. At no time should the rancher cover his beaver hat with a plastic rain cover.

Beavers love getting wet. So should ranchers.

14. Ranchers do not eat quiche, tofu or alfalfa sprouts.

Sprouts are for cows.

15. Under no circumstances should the rancher belong to any organized club such as the Sierra Club, Gay Rights Legal Defense Fund, Greenpeace or PETA. It’s O.K. for a rancher to attend a cattlemen’s convention as long he or she stays in the bar and doesn’t go to any meetings.

16. For every hour on top of a horse the rancher shall spend twenty hours fixing fence, pulling heifers or hauling hay.

17. Ranchers never experience “leisure time” but if they do it should be spent doing economic research at the auction market cafe.

18. A rancher must own a dog with good balance. (for riding in the truck). It should not be a LLaso Apso, Poodle, Schnauzer or any dog with a known heritage.

19. A rancher drinks whiskey, not wine. Water is acceptable as a chaser but not if it comes in one of those green bottles from France or a clear plastic bottle from Fiji.

20. There are four things a rancher never uses: hair styling mousse, a tractor, electric razor or a tax attorney.

21. A rancher pays more attention to the rain gauge and the price of calves than he does the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

22. All cattleman must be married because at times you will have to make up additional rules. This is the wife’s job. The wife reserves the right to change the rules at any time. If the husband begins to catch on to the rules the female must change the rules immediately.

23. If things don’t go well or turn out right it is always the husband’s fault.

WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

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Guest Columnist

My Land is my Castle

6 REASONS WHY USABLE ACRES ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR AN EQUESTRIAN PROPERTY

Hertha Wolff-Arend

When looking at horse properties, you will find all kinds of houses, barns and settings. Some of these settings are meant for the so called gentleman ranchers, others for the more serious horse addicts like trainers or professional riders. Some people just keep horses in their yard and enjoy the sight of their four legged friends. There may be as many reasons people own horses as there are breeds in the equine

world.

There are different disciplines in equine sports, which need different measures and settings. For example, if you are a dressage rider you want a 20 x 60 meter arena, while if you prefer jumping or roping you will probably prefer a bigger arena. As a jumper, you need storage for rails and jumps while as a roper you might like to have room for pens to

keep cattle.

Nevertheless, there is one thing the various disciplines and horse enthusiasts have in common: The need for usable acres when buying an equestrian property. This is what you have to look for:

· You must have enough flat land to ★ build a barn, an arena as well as other

out buildings if they do not already exist on the property.

· Get confirmation that zoning allows ★

horses. The size of the land does not necessarily mean horses are allowed.

· Take into consideration the number of ★ horses you own or you want to own.

Horses need room to roam and ideally you should plan 1.5 to 2.0 acres per horse.

· Some hills and slopes are fine, but ★ avoid steep and rocky ground to avoid injury to your horses.

· There must be enough room to build a ★ loop road that makes it easier for you to trailer in and out of your property.

· Avoid any property that is listed as ★ studded with oak trees. Although some shade from trees is fine, you don’t want your horses chasing each other under tree branches. The horses can get injured and will be prevented from enjoying what they like most, aside from grazing in a herd, i.e. scoping the horizon.

Hertha Wolff-Arend is a realtor working for Merrill & Associates in Paso Robles and specializes in country/ horse properties in the area. (CA BRE 02002648). She is also a certified business coach and a certified equine guided educator. For more information, contact her at 805-234 6454 or email Hertha@merrillre.com.

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It does not matter if you have 5 acres or 50 acres; a property without plenty of flat acres is not appropriate for keeping your horses. It does not matter if you start to build your dream from the scratch or buy an existing equestrian property.

Your land is your castle and your horses will be grateful when you make the right choice.

WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

GUMS EPD — Cows spend six hours every day eating and another eight chewing their cud, therefore dentition has more to do with profitability than traits we already have EPD’s for. We desperately need an EPD that indicates the quality of the teeth so we don’t end up with six year old cows runnin’ on the rims. No one wants to pay more for high quality alfalfa with fine stems and soft leaves just because their cows don’t have good choppers.

SLUT EPD — Who doesn’t want their cows bred up fast? That’s why we need a sluttability number that tells us which cows chase the bulls the minute they’re turned out. This would steer us away from breeding highly moral cows that like to play hard to get, or are choosey about the bull they’ll breed with. I don’t want bashful heifers with that “come hither” look who play hide and seek with the bulls for four months. I want cows that will walk right up to the first bull they see and say, “Listen big boy, let’s get this over with.”

MPH EPD — On the ranches I’ve leased the cows had to be able to travel 20 miles per day just to be able to find enough grass to eat to maintain their poor body condition. Lazy cows with a low speed index that shade up, or lay around, are easier to steal too. This EPD could be easily measured by identifying those cows that are invariably fastest to the feed truck.

IQ EPD — This would be similar to a birth EPD where you don’t want it too high to the point your cows are smarter than you. I prefer dumb cows who don’t have any idea they’ll end up as hamburger some day. If they’re highly intelligent they’ll hide in the brush like Arizona renegades and you never will corral them. No one wants cows smart enough to dodge a loop or drop a horn when your trying to rope them.

ILL EPD — Cattle have 22,000 genes and 80 percent of them are shared with humans and like humans,

Published by News Media Corporation | WINTER 2017

Cattle traiting

many cows are hypochondriacs. Medicine is expensive, veterinarians are often hard to find, and the government is now turning them into pharmacists. That’s why we need to identify those cattle that never call in sick or loiter in the feedlot sick pen.

OLD EPD — Professors say you should turn over generations quickly to make the most genetic progress.

That sounds good but are those same professors going to help you calve out replacement heifers every year?

Are they going to find cows to buy that are as good as yours and acclimated to your country for a reasonable price? As for me, give me cows that are ten years old with good teeth (see GUMS EPD), that know the country and have five more good calves left in them.

DOG EPD — Good cowboys are getting harder to find.

This explains why some folks are paying $10,000 apiece for Border Collies that can do the work of three people.

And you don’t have to pay or mollycoddle them. We need a DOG EPD to identify those cattle that will work well with a dog. (For some ranchers the DOG EPD could be replaced with a YAMAHA or POLARIS EPD.) UGLY EPD — I know we’re not supposed to select cattle by how they look any more but darn it, it gets old listening to the insults about your hideous looking herd with their frozen ears, stumpy tails, white eyes, splayed feet, droopy backs and multiple brands.

WIFEY EPD — We desperately need to be able to identify those cattle that will charge the wife when she’s trying to pull a calf or attempting to graft on a leppy. Who can afford to have the wife miss a day or two of chores? We also don’t need cows that give too much milk so that the wife has to milk them out. Such cattle may discourage the wife from her enthusiastic participation in the labor force. (This may well be the most important EPD of all.)

Guest Columnist

By Lee Pitts

Expected progeny differences (EPDs) have done wonders in improving the quality of our cattle. My only problem with EPD’s is there aren’t enough of them for traits that I’m most interested in. I wish some professor or breed association would come up with the following: 27

Ee

In the NEWS

USDA announces Farmer Fair Practices Rules Rules seek to ensure fairness and protect rights of farmers

CONTRIBUTED

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) announced updated regulations to protect the rights of farmers. The Farmer Fair Practices Rules target the most harmful practices hurting farmers and clearly outlines common sense protections to restore fairness and reduce the burden for farmers seeking justice under the Packers and Stockyards Act. This is the most recent action in the Obama’s Administration’s efforts to level the playing field for all Americans.

“For years, American farmers have been calling for protections against the most damaging unfair and deceptive practices confronting family farms across the country,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Poultry growers in particular are vulnerable to market risks and concentration in the processor market. All too often, processors and packers wield the power, and farmers carry the risk.

Today, USDA is taking a big step toward providing the protections that farmers deserve and need.”

The four largest processors in the poultry sector in this country control 51 percent of the broiler market and 57 percent of the turkey market. In part due to this concentration, poultry growers often have limited options for processors available in their local communities to contract with.

As such, 52 percent of growers have only one or two processors in their state or region to whom they can provide grower services. That means processors can often wield market power over the growers, treating them unfairly, suppressing how much they are paid, or pitting them against each other.

The new rules would level the playing field for farmers by proposing protections against the most egregious retaliatory practices harming chicken growers. The Farmer Fair Practices Rules are comprised of an interim final rule and two proposed rules GIPSA sent to be published in the Federal Register.

The interim final rule will affirmatively establish the Department’s long time position that it is not necessary to demonstrate that an unfair practice harms the entire market in order to prove a

28

violation of the Packers and Stockyards Act. Such overly broad interpretations have put family farmers at a disadvantage for decades when pursuing their rights under the Act. The proposed rule regarding unfair practices would clarify what GIPSA views as practices that clearly violate the Act and would establish criteria to protect the legal rights of farmers. The third proposal would establish criteria that GIPSA would consider in determining whether a live poultry dealer has engaged in a pattern or practice to use a poultry grower ranking system unfairly.

As an example of retaliatory practices, if a chicken grower attempts to organize other chicken growers to bargain for better pay or publicly expresses unhappiness with the way they are treated by a processor, processors could require growers to make investments that are not economically justifiable for the grower, or can terminate contracts with little notice. And because in contract growing, the processors own the birds and provide inputs like feed, they can choose to provide poultry growers with bad feed or sickly birds that have a higher mortality rate, which cuts deeply into a grower’s opportunity to earn income on those birds.

In hearings held in 2010, USDA heard from chicken growers who were promised a long-term business relationship but were soon bullied into signing narrower and narrower contracts until their business was unsustainable, who felt extorted into making expensive upgrades under threat of not being provided chickens to grow, and who tried to explore opportunities with other processors but were met with intimidation and discrimination.

The Farmer Fair Practices Rules reflect feedback received in over 60,000 comments and rigorous economic analysis conducted

by GIPSA in collaboration with the USDA Office of the Chief Economist. GIPSA is providing opportunity for additional comment on all of the rules, to ensure that the public has a robust opportunity to engage in the regulatory process.

Copies of the Farmer Fair Practices Rules (as transmitted to the Federal Register) can be viewed on the GIPSA website gipsa. usda.gov/psp/farmerfairpractices.aspx.

This link will be updated once the rules officially publish in the Federal Register.

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2017 Poly Royal Rodeo

In the NEWS

moves to the Alex G. Spanos Stadium

CONTRIBUTED

SAN LUIS OBISPO — The 77th annual Poly Royal Rodeo will offer a whole new spectator experience as it moves to a premiere arena — Cal Poly’s Alex G. Spanos Stadium.

The rodeo will be held April 7 and 8 at the Spanos Stadium.

The new venue will nearly double the capacity for spectators.

“The Poly Royal Rodeo has been held at the Cal Poly rodeo grounds for more than 70 years,” Coach Ben Londo said.

“Relocating the rodeo is monumental. This will not only improve the spectator experience but allow the Cal Poly Rodeo program to make history by potentially becoming the largest college rodeo in the country.”

The stadium offers ample seating, in-place logistics to handle large crowds, and a new and exciting spectator experience to our rodeo.

The Poly Royal Rodeo, held during Cal Poly’s annual Open House weekend, is deeply rooted in the university’s history and remains one of Cal Poly’s most revered events.

College rodeo athletes from all over the West Coast will compete for a championship title in events such as barrel racing, team roping, breakaway roping, tie down roping, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding and steer wrestling. The rodeo will also include stunts, clown acts, calf dressing and more.

The cost of hosting the rodeo at the stadium will be paid for by sponsorships, donors and ticket sales.

Last year nearly 6,000 people attended the standing room only rodeo. Spanos Stadium can accommodate more than 11,000 guests.

“In the past our facility held up to 2,500 people for a performance,” said Londo. “That left as many as 3,500 people standing. The stadium offers ample seating, in-place logistics to handle large crowds, and a new and exciting spectator experience to our rodeo.”

The program’s new venue aligns with the momentum the program has seen in recent years under Londo’s leadership.

In May 2015 Mark and Jessie Milano announced their plans to establish a $1 million endowment to benefit the Cal Poly Rodeo team in perpetuity. The gift increased the program’s scholarship offerings to more than $80,000 in 2016-17, up from $16,000 awarded in 2015-16.

The 2017 rodeo will feature two back-to back evening performances followed by a headline concert Saturday night, with the act to be announced at a later date.

Tickets will go on sale in February at tickets.calpoly.edu. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Cal Poly Rodeo Program.

“The Cal Poly Rodeo program is held in high esteem nationwide,” said Andrew Thulin, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. “These incredible athletes emulate teamwork, responsibility and stewardship of the Western way of life. This is a well-deserved opportunity to showcase their hard work on a larger stage.”

WINTER 2017 | Published by News Media Corporation

Ee

In the NEWS

USDA provides new cost share opportunities

for organic producers and handlers

CONTRIBUTED

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that starting March 20, organic producers and handlers will be able to visit more than 2,100 USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices around the country to apply for federal reimbursement to assist with the cost of receiving and maintaining organic or transitional certification.

“USDA is committed to helping the organic sector grow and thrive through a wide variety of programs, and part of that commitment is making it easy for stakeholders to access our services. That’s why, starting March 20, producers will be able to visit their local FSA offices to access organic certification cost share reimbursements for up to 75 percent of the cost of organic certification,” said FSA Administrator Val Dolcini. “This will provide a more uniform, streamlined process nationwide; and it will give organic producers a chance to learn about other valuable USDA resources, like farm loans and conservation assistance that can help them succeed.”

USDA is making these changes to encourage increased participation in the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP) and the Agricultural Management Assistance Organic Certification Cost Share Program, and at the same time provide more opportunities for organic producers to access a full range of USDA programs, such as disaster protection and loans for farms, facilities and marketing. Producers can also access information on nonfederal agricultural resources, and get referrals to local experts, including organic agriculture, through USDA’s Bridges to Opportunity service at the local FSA office.

In the past, state departments of agriculture administered the cost share programs. States that still want to administer the program will have the opportunity to do so by applying for funding by Feb. 17.

“The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the National Organic Program look forward to this exciting opportunity to leverage the Farm Service Agency’s rural footprint to reach more organic producers and handlers,” said AMS Administrator Elanor Starmer. “At the same time it is important to recognize and continue the valuable partnerships with states that remain at the core of the program.”

Eligible producers include any certified producers or handlers who have paid organic or transitional certification fees to a USDA-accredited certifying agent. Application fees, inspection costs, fees related to equivalency agreement/arrangement requirements, travel/per diem for inspectors, user fees, sales assessments and postage are all eligible for a cost share reimbursement from USDA. Once certified, producers and handlers are eligible to receive reimbursement for up to 75 percent of certification costs each year up to a maximum of $750 per certification scope — crops, livestock, wild crops and handling.

To learn more about organic certification cost share, visit fsa.usda.gov/ organic or contact a local FSA office by visiting offices.usda.gov.

Published by News Media Corporation | WINTER 2017

Ee

USDA office expands

to help women and Hispanic farmers

In the NEWS CONTRIBUTED

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the Office of the Ombudsperson is helping women and Hispanic farmers and ranchers with accessing Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Rural Development (RD) programs.

The Ombudsperson seeks a fair process for everyone involved and helps USDA identify and address issues relating to program access by women and Hispanic producers, focused USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack strategically on FSA, NRCS and RD programs in photo by Bob Nichols [Public domain] California, Missouri, New via Wikimedia Commons Mexico and Texas.

“I strongly support this office and its functions in ensuring civil rights at USDA and continuing to improve service delivery to our stakeholders,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The Ombudsperson is another avenue for producers to highlight their shared concerns, while also allowing key issues to be brought to USDA’s leaders as early as possible and to help identify solutions to these shared concerns.”

The office was created as part of the Keepseagle v. Vilsack settlement to serve Native American farmers and ranchers before directing efforts to serve women and Hispanic farmers. The Ombudsperson serves as an independent, neutral, confidential and informal resource and advocates within USDA for changes when the process, supporting information and data demonstrate a need. However, the Ombudsperson will not advocate for individuals, groups or entities or take sides in an issue or advocate for a particular outcome.

During his tenure, Vilsack built a new era for civil rights at USDA to ensure that all customers and employees are treated fairly, no matter their race, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability or age and consistently supported efficient delivery and coordination across all of USDA’s programs.

The Ombudsperson: • listens to concerns as a confidential neutral person with no agenda or bias; • facilitates early calls with USDA program staff and managers; • makes the connections with the right individuals who can answer the questions or address the concerns raised; • shares systemic issues with the USDA managers and senior leaders; and • helps identify recommendations on shared concerns.

More information about the Office of the Ombudsperson is available at usda.gov/ombudsperson. The Ombudsperson, Joanne Dea, can be reached by phone at 202-205-1000 or via email at ombudsperson@usda.gov.

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