# Empty Saddles: The Last Great All-Around Horseman
In the arena at Oklahoma City, where countless champions have written their stories in arena dirt, Bob Avila penned his final chapter. At 72, doing what he loved most – helping others perfect their horsemanship at the AQHA World Show – the legendary horseman took his last ride on November 9, 2024.
They say true horsemen aren’t made in a day, but crafted over decades of early mornings, endless rides, and the wisdom to know that every horse has a story to tell. Bob Avila didn’t just read those stories – he wrote them, chapter by chapter, championship by championship, in disciplines that spanned the breadth of western performance.
“His true love was AQHA and in my mind he was probably the last great all-around horseman,” reflects Jim Spence, his voice carrying the weight of appreciation for a rare breed of horseman. “He could pick out and fit a halter horse and make it a world champion… a pleasure horse… a Western riding horse, a trail horse, a rope horse, reiner, cow horse and a cutter.” In an era of specialization, Avila was a renaissance man in boots and spurs.
The record books tell part of his story: three NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity championships, two World’s Greatest Horseman titles, an NRHA Futurity championship, and a record-setting five NRCHA Stallion Stakes victories. But perhaps more telling were the successes of those he mentored – Todd Bergen, Duane Latimer, and John Slack, all NRHA Futurity champions who learned under his watchful eye.
“If he felt like you were up to it and you were working hard, he would give you the opportunities,” Bergen remembers, his voice warm with gratitude. “He gave me a ton of opportunities and I’ll never forget him for that.” This wasn’t just about training horses; it was about building horsemen.
In a world where many chase quick success, Avila built something enduring. His magazine “Ride With Bob Avila,” his training videos, and his business acumen set a new standard for professional horsemanship. Clean trucks, immaculate trailers, horses that “looked like a million bucks” – these weren’t just details to him, they were the foundation of a legacy.
“There aren’t going to be a lot of guys like him, because of the era he was in,” Tom St. Hilaire reflects, speaking of a time when versatility wasn’t just valued, it was required. A time when a horseman’s word was his bond, and Avila’s principle of being “upfront with the owners” marked him as a man of integrity in an industry where truth sometimes takes the long way home.
Even as he stepped back from managing over 100 horses to under 20 in his move to Scottsdale, his passion for teaching never dimmed. His proudest achievement might well have been watching his son BJ (Robert Avila Jr.) carry forward the family legacy, proving that sometimes the best lessons are passed down in silence, watching a master at work.
The AQHA World Show seems quieter now, missing the presence of a man who never missed one, who looked forward to it every year like a homecoming. But in the dust of the arena, in the subtle communication between horse and rider, in the pride of a clean stop and the grace of a flying lead change, Bob Avila’s influence lives on.
Rest easy, horseman. Your legacy rides on in every student you taught, every horse you trained, and every life you touched with your unwavering dedication to the art of horsemanship. The western performance world is richer for having known you, and poorer for your passing.
In an industry that’s always chasing the next big thing, Bob Avila was timeless – a horseman for all seasons, all disciplines, and all time.
