The privilege of getting older comes with the cost of losing many along the way. Word reached us (thanks to Jane, who is still on Facebook), that Bill Robertson died peacefully last weekend. Bill’s son, Brody, married Jen, who wrote a beautiful memorial to Bill, complete with many pictures. She has given me permission to share it.
“The world has lost an absolute legendary horseman, William “Bill” Robertson, this past weekend. It was an honor to call him my father-in-law and later, our Papa Bill. He was polite, he was gentle, and if you met Bill, you would think he was just some nice old cowboy that had a horse in his yard.
You wouldn’t know that he was one of the first Americans to win a Nations Cup at Aachen or that he was part of the “Dream Team” that represented the United States Equestrian Team at Dublin and many international shows. He trained at Gladstone, under Bertrand DeNemethy, alongside his teammates, William Steinkraus, George Morris, Mary and Frank Chapot, Kathy Kusner, and others. You wouldn’t know that he had wins at Madison Square Garden or the thousands of Grand Prix and Puissance wins on hundreds of different mounts, many of which were pulled from kill pens and racetracks. He didn’t really care where the horse came from, how it was bred, or what it had done before. He had an eye and a feeling and could pick one from the most humble beginning. Every horse had the same chance with him.
Bill taught me the essence of true horsemanship. I never once saw him have contempt, anger, or frustration towards a horse.
He was empathetic and it was always about the horse’s point of view. He made the horse WANT to do the thing that was being asked. He was so slow and so patient. The horse would do one thing right and he would say, “That’s enough for today. There’s plenty to do tomorrow.”
He could describe in great detail what something should feel like (even over the phone) and the steps to take to get there. He could do more in 3 minutes than most could in 3 months. He could get on the hottest of horses and make them soft, balanced, and ready for a child to ride when he was done with them in a few weeks.
I had a young, unstarted horse in the round pen one time. It reared, struck at him, and came after him with its teeth. He pulled the straw hat off his head and held it up, having the horse trot away. He was totally unfazed and explained,
“He’s just doing what he thinks he needs to do right now.”
I will remember the way Bill sat on a horse, the way he carried his hands and the softness and compassion he had In the reins.
I have so many learned lessons and sayings, and so many memories that I will cherish. He will be missed by all of us, but especially his wife, Deitra, and his dog, Zorro. I am comforted imagining the ripples of true horsemanship and the impact he had on so many people that are now professionals in their own right. There’s nothing he would have loved more knowing that. Happy trails, Cowboy.”
There were many more pictures in Jen’s post on Facebook. Bill was legendary to me, having heard of him since I was 14. Harry and I met Brody before we met Bill, In Des Moines, Iowa, when Brody was a kid horse showing for the summer with Dennis Mitchell.
Brody, like his parents, (Bill and Patty) is a horseman, though he has become a world renowned course designer. Through Bill he has grown up with legends in the sport of showjumping. His great luck in life, though, was marrying Jen and having sons Saer and Flynn.
For a while, Jen and Brody were here in Missouri, and it was a golden era. They gave wonderful clinics and competitions, and brought famous horsemen in for memorable sessions, legendary in these parts.
Best of all, Bill stayed a while here in Missouri before returning to Texas. Jane and I went for a lesson with him, which was incredible. Before we began to ride, Bill mentioned that he had watched us mount our horses, and that the horses’ failure to stand still for mounting was a big mistake. I changed my ways from then on, and every time I mount a quietly standing horse, I think of Bill Robertson and how fortunate I was to learn from him. He was as kind to me as he was to horses.
Here are few pictures from the last time I saw Bill, at a George Morris clinic at Altamonte in 2018, before Brody and Jen moved south to Ocala, Florida. He was a great horseman and human being.
Thanks for the lessons and for the memories.
Stay well, stay safe, keep in touch. Treasure the memories. Slava Ukraini! Peace…
Galloping Through 