Cal Poly Pomona Oral Histories

NARRATOR: Monty Roberts
INTERVIEWER: Jennifer Keil
DIRECTOR: Dr. Jéanne Brooks
DATE: March 29th and 30th, 2023
PROJECT: Trailblazers in the Equine Industry Project

LOCATION: Flag is Up Farms in Solvang, CA
ABSTRACT: Monty Roberts is a cowboy who grew up in Central California. He was a stuntman in the 1940s and 50s with James Dean, Ronald Reagan, and John Wayne. He married Pat Roberts and moved to Solvang, CA. Flag is Up Farms was established to educate equine communities throughout the world with his “Join-up” technique. Mr. Roberts trained Queen Elizabeth II’s horses and attended her funeral. He has authored books about his lifetime working with the equine community. This includes The Man Who Listens to Horses (1996), Shy Boy: The Horse That Came in from the Wild (1999), Horse Sense for People (2001), From My Hands to Yours (2002), The Horses in My Life (2005), and Ask Monty (2007). His oral history interview covers aspects of his horse training techniques and incredible legacy.

FILM ONE: March 29, 2023 https://youtu.be/B1f-1pIr0zc

LENGTH: 00:24:40

FILM TWO: March 30th, 2023 https://youtu.be/wGA-pLnrr14

LENGTH: 01:38:36

NARRATOR: Ada Gates Patton
INTERVIEWER: Jennifer Keil
DIRECTOR: Dr. Jéanne M. Brooks
DATE: August 28, 2023
PROJECT: Trailblazers in the Equine Industry Project
LOCATION: Cal Poly Pomona Libraries
ABSTRACT: Ada grew up in New York City and had a pony from the age of four years old. She studied to be the first female farrier in Colorado. She met Harry Holiday Patton at the Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, CA. As a pioneer in the equine industry, she has seen the evolution of the industry and has won awards. They include the 2008 American Farriers’ Association’s Edward Martin Humanitarian Award. She serves on the Board of the California Thoroughbred Foundation. Ada was the official horseshoe inspector for the Rose Parade. Media milestones include an interview with David Letterman and Andre, the Central Park carriage horse. She owns and operates Harry Patton Horseshoeing Supplies in Monrovia and Salinas.VIDEO: https://youtu.be/A3AHQSbp8so?feature=sharedLENGTH: 01:49:40