Longtime well-known Saddlebred trainer, Bob Lewis, passed away on Saturday, the 11th of September.

The youngest of four siblings, Bob’s exposure to Saddlebreds began early on in his life, as his father, Robert H. “Harry” Lewis, operated a public stable. Bob would eventually follow in his father’s footsteps in the Saddlebred business. While in high school, he worked afternoons, weekends and summers at the stable, learning how to gait a horse, and also about shoeing, developing good instincts which would serve him well throughout his career.

In February of 1942, Bob was drafted into the Army, and was eventually deployed to Europe to serve his country in World War II. After being badly wounded in action near the German border, he spent a great deal of time at various hospitals, followed by light duty in northeastern France and Germany, before returning home in December of 1945.

His first horse show after the war was at Ft. Worth, Texas, in March of 1946, where he won the Five-Gaited Championship atop a mare named Cimarron Cis. In the summer of 1948, Bob moved his family to Salt Lake City, Utah, and in February of 1950, moved his operation to California.

After winning his first blue ribbon at the age of six, Bob’s involvement with horses and ponies spanned more than 85 years. Throughout his career, he trained such horses as CHMonti Scott, CHGreat Catherine, CHStonewall’s High Noon, CHSnow Flurry, CHDare You All, and CHAttache’s Foxfire, among others. He also served as a horse show judge, judging such shows as the National Horse Show in New York and the Royal Exposition in Toronto.

In 2008, Bob was honored as a recipient of the American Saddlebred Horse Association’s (ASHA) Wing Commander Medal, awarded to individuals for demonstrating outstanding service to ASHA and the breed, and through their dedication, attracting interest in the highest quality show horses of the breed, thereby contributing to advancing the popularity of American Saddlebreds to the public.

There will be a private service for his family. Any additional details will be provided as they become available.