Robin Bond
Robin Bond has been training professionally since 1993.
After spending 22 years in jumping, dressage and combined training, Robin set her sights on western events. Her experience now includes trail, reining, reined cowhorse, ranch horse versatility, and extreme cowboy racing.
Robin is currently focused on breeding and training an all around horse that can take his rider from an exacting ranch riding class, to a trail class at speed, and finish by working a cow in a sorting, penning, or ranch roping environment.
It is important to take the horse’s natural physical strengths into consideration when working in any discipline, but what makes a good all around ranch horse, and a good EXCA horse, starts with a good temperament, a sturdy structure, and a willing mind.
In order to create a good EXCA mount, Robin draws on knowledge gleaned from all disciplines. Her background in reining puts a good stop and spin on a horse. Her dressage experience helps makes transitions and lead changes correct. Jumping and trail skills teach correct approaches and technique over obstacles. Reined cowhorse work puts as good of a handle on a horse as you can get. Lastly, combined training adds speed to obstacles and develops well founded confidence. All of these techniques have been learned through years of study followed by practical application. Professional riders such as Ted Robinson, Todd Crawford, George Morris, Tad Coffin, Buck Brannaman, and Sandy Arledge have influenced Robin’s training methods. Add it all together and you get Robin’s approach to horse training for the all around western horse.
Robin taught, managed and trained for ten years at Sandy Arledge’s award winning quarter horse ranch. She has won the coveted Open Bridle class at San Francisco’s Cow Palace, Del Mar National’s Sliding contest, NRCHA’s Limited Open Bridle World Champion Top Ten, 2009 EXCA Pomona Reserve Champion, 2009 EXCA World Champion Top Three, and 2010 EXCA Pomona Champion. She currently trains at Deer Springs Equestrian in San Marcos, California.
The Extreme Cowboy Race as designed by Craig Cameron is the ultimate test of the Western all around horse, and Robin looks forward to promoting this fast growing equine event to the benefit of horse enthusiasts everywhere.