66
Jan. 1, 2009
HORSETRADER Real Estate
Horsetowns: East San Diego County
A Mehl Lawson LAWSON
SKRWR
Perspective on …
Continued from Page 64
His journey, far from over, is
+RUVHWUDGHU
Continued from Page 64
one Lawson is willing to share,
especially those initial steps of an
■ ON TRANSFORMATION FROM
artist’s path, the ones that can be
&DOLIRUQLD
HORSE TRAINER TO ARTIST:
obstacles without guidance.

“The sculpture just took right off, and
“I remember the struggle, and I
within just a couple years I had emerged
LOVRQ
don’t want to see any young artist :
out of the horse business and we bought
have to go through what I went
this little house. I had bought 40 acres
through,” says Lawson, who now
DUUHQ
in Rancho California with the idea of
chairs a committee for the Cowboy
:
expanding my horse business. It was one
Artists of America to develop a
of those crossroads-like times of my life.
mentoring program for artists. The
I’d either go bigger into horses and
program is modeled after one by
concentrate on that, or I would take a
another venerable group, the
leap and go into art. I chose the art. So,
Traditional Cowboy Arts
we sold that property, bought this
Association, of which Lawson also
house, and I’ve been here ever since.”
0HKO/DZVRQOHIWDQG'XDQH3LOOVEXU\SDXVHDWWKHFDUULDJHEDUQRQWKH
is a member. The TCAA program
3LOOVEXU\5DQFKLQ/DNHVLGH
has mentored about 140 artists,
■ ON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
giving out more than $36,000 in piece, “Watchin’ ’Em Water,” triple AAA AQHA champion and a
COWBOY ARTISTS AND HORSES:
scholarships. commissioned by Art Nicholas to top hackamore horse.
“The common thread is the love for
“You don’t know who you’re grace the entrance of the indoor “C.W. was a great trainer during
the horse. We’re all basically horse
going to help,” he says. “I think the arena at his 150,000-acre those times, and he would be
people. My first love is the horse, before
person that we’re really targeting is Wagonhound Ranch near Douglas, today,” says Lawson, who also
the art. California has a great horse
the artist who is doing good work, Wy. Lawson also finds time now for trained Expensive Hobby, Corona
tradition. Our heritage is the ranching
but is at a point where they need his first passion, the one he says Cody and Triples Image, to name a
heritage. The vaquero originated on the
help getting to the next level.” bonds all cowboy artists. few. “During the time I was
west coast, California in particular.
These programs are not art “We’re all basically horse people. training, I had some very nice
That’s a big part of our heritage that the
schools, but a resource for budding My first love is the horse, before the horses that I both trained and
people of California — even many horse
artists using crafts steeped in art,” he says. He rides chiefly in showed. We sold a lot of very nice
people — don’t really understand that
Western heritage. Whether they east San Diego County, enjoying young horses that went on to do
connection we have with that era.
braid reins, sculpt a bronze or tool the working cattle ranch at Corte great things during those years. I
What you are seeing a lot of, too, is
leather, their talents blossom more Madera in Pine was always
the old California-style training of
fully when nurtured by a mentor. Valley or, more fortunate to have
horses, with the hackamore, two-rein
Workshops like a braiding regularly, the
“I used to say to
such good horses
horses. I see a lot of it because of my
workshop Lawson will host in generous facilities and clients.”
connection with the Traditional Cowboy
February with Nate Wold fuel of the Pillsbury
myself,‘If I ever
If he trained
Arts Association. They are really
artists with both a social and Ranch in Lakeside,
get good enough
horses today,
starting to bring back a lot of those
learning environment. Scholarships where owners Lawson would
crafts and skills.”
help, too. Duane Pillsbury where I had train reiners, he
“For me, one thing I remember and Joan Embrey
something to
says. It is his
■ ON HORSES TODAY:
in starting off with my art was how welcome him. favorite equestrian
“If I had to go into training today, I
hard it was to get any help Before his
offer — I will
sport, one that —
would do it as a reiner trainer. It’s a
whatsoever in my area from transformation to like his artistry in
great sport. My favorite. Reining is the
artists,” says Lawson, who credits artist, Lawson help anybody’.” sculpting and
fastest-growing equestrian sport of all
the encouragement of his late wife, earned his living braiding — shares
of them right now. And it’s gone very
Barbara, for his breakthrough into as a horse trainer,
—MEHL LAWSON
a physicality, a
international. What’s so great about
art. “I used to say to myself, ‘If I first in Vista under precision and a
reining, and I think part of the reason it
ever get good enough where I had C.W. “Red” Neill, then on his own. link to the vaquero heritage.
has so much appeal, is almost anybody
something to offer — I will help He discovered, trained, and showed Instead of reiners, his next step
can do it. If you’ve got a big, flat piece
anybody.’ That’s why I want to see a line-up of memorable horses. includes guiding a new generation
of ground, a horse and saddle, and skid
these programs be successful. In While working with Neill, the list of cowboy artists with mentoring
boots, you can conceivably train a
this part of my life, I really feel included Rocky Knox, a top Pacific programs.
world-class reiner. Cutting? You’ve got
strongly about these mentoring Coast champion stock and AQHA EDITOR’S NOTE: For
to have pens and chutes and cows and
programs — both with the TCAA champion, and also Linda information on the Traditional
turn-back help. It’s a monumental
and the CAA.” Scotland, a triple AAA race horse Cowboy Arts Association, or its
effort to train a cutter, and not everyone
More than 30 years after his and AQHA champion who went on educational and scholarship
can afford it. Reining, you don’t have all
first acclaimed bronze, Lawson’s to become one of the first AQHA programs, go to the Web site:
that. You can just go out and show with
inspiration still has the step of a 3- Supreme Champions. During this www.tcowboyarts.org. The Cowboy
the rest of the guys.”
year-old colt. His current work is period between 1959 and 1963, he Artists of America Web site is:
also a one-and-a-half-times life-size also trained Hobby Horse, another www.cowboyartistsofamerica.com
horsetrader.com
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