the people who wanted to learn. The well-wishers who had sent him emails and left get-well messages deserved to be part of the way of life that Cowboy Dressage was becoming. Eitan knew he had to live to meet their need.
Santa Fe Renegade is one of those horses that we all dream of owning: a beautiful winning performance horse and a reliable mount that takes care of his riders. He has also proven to be an excellent breeding stallion, passing on his beauty, disposition, and talent to each foal. Santa Fe was the leading Western Pleasure Sire in the Morgan Breed in 2012 and 2013. Above, Santa Fe is shown surrounded by photos of some of his many sons and daughters that have gone on to make wonderful riding horses.
For many reasons, late 2010 was a vital point in the evolution of Cowboy Dressage. It was already big; Eitan and Debbie had been travelling all over the world to promote their unique brand of horsemanship. People were learning to do Cowboy Dressage in clinics, at shows, and at home, with the help of the many videos and articles Eitan and others had been creating. As riders felt more comfortable with the new style, they wanted to take it in different directions. Some wanted to compete at recognized shows; Morgan owners, for example, wanted to do dressage in their Western tack, along the lines Eitan had shown them. The Western Dressage Association of America was created to facilitate a new division at horse shows. Regional clubs were organized all over the United States. Now there are Cowboy Dressage groups all over the world.
THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME
When he was asked to go to Germany for the Closing Ceremony of the World Equestrian Games in 2006, Eitan said, “Let me think about it,” and hung up the phone. Debbie looked at him, astonished, and exclaimed, “What is there to think about? We’re doing it!” The organizers had asked him because they knew he could deliver an unscripted, fantastic performance under chaotic conditions; it was the opportunity of a lifetime. The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the Morgan Horse Institute sponsored Eitan and Santa Fe Renegade as their ambassador to the Games in Aachen, and off they all went to Europe.
When the time came to perform, Debbie was a nervous wreck, despite her original enthusiasm and confidence in Eitan and Santa Fe. They had no rehearsal, no warm up; it was cloudy, rainy, and windy. The stadium was full of noise and people, the grass was slick—so many what ifs. As they waited in the cold, Debbie was thinking about everything that could go wrong. Eitan, however, was reveling in everything that could go right. He was entirely confident—in fact, he couldn’t wait to get out in front of the crowd.
“Aren’t you scared?” Debbie asked him.
Eitan and Santa Fe Renegade performed in the Closing Ceremony of the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, in 2006.
Eitan’s answer was a definite no. “I’ve been preparing for this all my life,” he said. “Santa Fe is ready, I am ready.”
And they were. After the fantastic performance, Deb and Eitan looked at each other and said, “We could just stop here. It just cannot get any better.” Luckily for the rest of us, they did not stop, and slowly, out of the big triumphs and little defeats that accompany any new endeavor, Cowboy Dressage grew into what it is today.
After a stunning performance with Santa Fe Renegade at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, Eitan collapsed due to cardiac arrest. During his recovery, he was amazed by the overwhelming support of friends, acquaintances, and fans. Their response inspired a new purpose: he had to pull through in order to share his knowledge with a fan base larger than he had ever imagined.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCING COWBOY DRESSAGE
The first thing my brother asked me when I mentioned I had visited Debbie and Eitan Beth-Halachmy for the first time in years was, “Do they still live above the stables?”
Yes of course. What a wonderful way to live, we agreed: right above your horses, amidst beautiful scenery. Of course, it is easy for us to say. My brother has fond memories of riding his motorbike out to Wolf Creek Ranch to escape the hustle and bustle of Sacramento. I have spent most of my adult life in cities where I have had to drive anywhere from ten to forty-five minutes to see my horses. For us, having our horses close at hand seems a dream and a privilege. For Deb and Eitan, it is a way of life that has brought hard work along with the fulfillment that has come with Cowboy Dressage.
A visit to Wolf Creek Ranch, home of the Beth-Halachmys and the birthplace—if one place can be named—of Cowboy Dressage involves a slow winding drive through the beautiful scenery of Grass Valley in California (fig. 1.1). No matter which way you go, you get the curves that are pretty but numerous enough to make you glad not to miss their road. The ranch itself is hard to miss: the entry sports the familiar name and logo, a horse head coming out of the W. The driveway drops down past the covered round pen to the barn. Deb and Eitan live in a small two-room apartment above the stalls.
1.1 – Entrance to Wolf Creek Ranch, Grass Valley, California.
The quickest way to the staircase is along the east side of the barn; Santa Fe Renegade may stick his head over the door to greet you. I prefer to walk through the alleyway, however, with its smell of horses, shavings, and leather. If they aren’t out in the pasture, I greet the horses as I go by; I look enviously at the gorgeous saddles, maybe stick my head in the tack room to take a deep breath of leather. Perhaps there will be a horse cross-tied, waiting patiently to be groomed and worked, or put out to play.
If you make it through the barn and up the stairs at the far end, you will be greeted first by three dachshunds and the shy cat Pumpkin may slink out as you go in to meet Deb and Eitan. You may notice the neat kitchen and comfortable living area. You will definitely notice horses: Bridles, hackamores, photographs, paintings, sculptures, models. A headshot of Holiday Compadre; a drawing of Santa Fe Renegade. The back room has more drawings and photographs, headstalls, bits, and a beautiful saddle. It is a horse lover’s paradise, a place of work and dreams.
The first time I visited to talk about this book, I found Eitan busy with Garn Walker, Lyn Ringrose-Moe, and Sarah Dickinson (all founding members of Cowboy Dressage World) working out the tiniest details for the then new Challenge court. I had not seen Garn at close quarters in years; two thoughts ran through my head simultaneously: We’ve all aged! and He’s still helping people. Growing up showing horses guarantees a hodgepodge of memories associated with horse show people; pretty much everyone has a “good” or a “bad” scene engraved in my mind. What jumped to mind about Garn was one day years ago when I showed Western for the first time. I had volunteered to fill a Stock Seat Medal class with my Saddle Seat/ Hunt Seat gelding. Never been in Western tack? No problem. Borrow a saddle, pop a Western curb in the mouth, and hope for the best. I was warming up when Garn asked me to stop and he helped me place my foot in the correct position, adding that it was okay if my foot moved up and down vertically, to absorb the movement of sitting the jog.
That bit of instruction proved useful, for the next year I decided to show Western. I had, miraculously, been second place in that Stock Seat Medal class (quite unfairly beating three “real” Western riders), and I took that as a sign. I still remember Garn’s advice, and it leapt
