From Horse Training to Performing, Ramon Becerra Does it
All
You might catch him in his leather workshop or in his arena made of old movie set storefronts resembling Old Santa Ynez. You might even be so lucky to view a performance by him, like those who attended the May 26 “Troubled Love” benefit dinner at Fess Parker.
You might even catch him repeating a quote that is near and dear to his heart, just one of the lessons that remain to be a driving force in his life.
Though fame and fortune is not what he seeks. Horseman Ramon Becerra has definitely made a name for himself through his horsemanship and performing.
“He is a magnificent artist and world renowned for his achieve and in my opinion should have more visibility in our community,” said Lee Rosenberg, a lead organizer of “Troubled Love. He stands with the best of them.”
First and foremost Becerra is a horseman, but he does perform with various types of horses for commercials, movies, live events, magazines and calendars, and non-profit events. He also is the editor at large for the Conquistador magazine. His style of riding and performing is a mixture of many styles such as dressage, reining, trick riding, charro, Spanish and other disciplines he may have picked up through the years.
“I’ve spent my life around horses and doing what I like to do,” Becerra said. “I’ve been performing and training horses since I can remember.”
Becerra started training and performing with horses in the United States in 1981.
His affinity for horse riding can be traced back to his weekend and vacation visits to his grandfather’s, Gavino Ramirez, ranch in Mexico.
“I would ride horses, donkeys and mules,” Becerra said. “I would ride anything I could ride and get bucked off of.”
After competing in the rodeos in Mexico, where he learned trick roping, Becerra started working at Casa Domecq, where he learned about Andalusian horses.
During his time at Casa Domecq, Becerra along with three other riders from the program were invited to come to the U.S. and tour for two years.
Charlotte Dicke , who has known Becerra for 15 years, remembers when she first witnessed a performance by him.
“I first saw him perform in 1992 in Reno Nevada, Peruvian national show, did a liberty act with Mr. Slick,” Dicke said. “I went and found him later and asked him how long it took him to train Mr. Slick, because I couldn’t believe that a horse would do all that he did for his trainer. I was amazed.”
Some of Becerra’s fondest memories are from the tour in the U.S.
“Doing the exhibition at Madison Square Garden was a great experience,” he said. “We were on the second or third floor of the hotel and we had never seen anything like that in Mexico.”
“There were a lot of good moments,” he said. “I don’t remember any bad moments at all.”
Becerra made the Valley home in 1984 after training horses for Edith Evan’s Kingdom of Dancing Stallions in Buena Park.
“That period was a very educational time in my career,” Becerra said. “I got to see and experience many different riding styles. There were riders from all over the world there.”
When Becerra was working at the Kingdom of Dancing Stallions, he also began training John and Bo Derek’s horses Centauro Bo, Mauro and Mister Slick, which is where his ties with the Valley began.
“I moved to the Valley to train these horses,” Becerra said. “I fell in love with the Valley. I’ve traveled all over the U.S. and basically there’s no other place in the country like the Valley.”
Now, after two decades, Becerra said he is still doing what he loves to do, train horses, do leather work and perform. He has set a goal to begin trade marking his very own saddle as well.
“Since I make my own saddles, when people come and ride a horse of mine, they always ask where I got my saddle and I tell them ‘I didn’t get it from anywhere. I made it.’”
As he cleans the oil on his hands with a lime, it is clear that he will never stray from his grandfather’s saying, “No es rico el que tiene mucho si no al que no le falta nada.”
Translated, “It is not a rich man who has a lot but a person who doesn’t need anything.”
“I am not arrogant. Every thing that I am doing with horses has been done before,” he said. “My ambition in life is not to make money but to continue doing what I like and love to do.”
For more information about Ramon Becerra visit RBHorses.com or e-mail him at ramon@rbhorses.com