TRAINER,
ROBERT SMITH

Robert Smith was born with what some would consider a black type pedigree.  His father, Dr. Bob Smith Jr. of Palm Beach Equine is a practicing equine veterinarian.  Micki Smith his mother, an accomplished show jumper once coaching the Florida State University equestrian team.   Robert started riding very young and was extremely competitive around Florida.  One of his infamous equine show partners was Golden Tabo.  He and Tabo won many titles; cow horse, heading, reining, and break away roping all as a youth.  Robert wanted to hone his skills and went to ride with Florida based trainers Jay Holmes and Ted Chancy.  These horseman were able to help Robert transition from youth rider to competitive showman in the non pro division. 

When Robert acquired a new mount, Just Plain Cat he sparked a desire to go west to the center of the performance horse industry to work for Bobby Lewis in Ardmore, OK.  It was a great partnership of mentor and student. Robert was able to aid Bobby with the breeding knowledge he gained from all the years of helping his father.  Bobby having been an employee of Carol Rose Quarter Horses for 23 years and was able to pass on his horsemanship skills in all areas of the performance horse industry; roping, cow horse, cutting and give guidance in how to maintain at the top of the business. In 2007 Robert had one of his career highlights, winning the Amateur Non Pro Snaffle Bit Futurity Championship riding a horse he trained from start to finish, Shiners Red Pepper.  It was also in Oklahoma Robert met his now fiancé Becky Crow, then the Breeding Manager for Schmersal Reining Horses and began to think further into his future.  He wanted a better understanding on how to train and finish a cutting horse so he took the assistant trainer position for Bart Nichols in Cimarron, NM.  Thorough the eight months he worked there he rode two year olds just starting the program, and finished seasoned horses.  Gaining a feel and more in depth understanding of the how to train and maintain a cutting horse.     It is this well rounded knowledge of so many different aspects of the performance horse industry that gives Robert Smith a wonderful foundation for horses.

Becky Crow

Becky Crow was born into the agricultural business a fifth generation farmer from Oakesdale, Washington.  Her parents supported her horse habit while growing up.  She had a constant desire for new knowledge and to try different disciplines.   Before graduating high school, Becky had competed in 4-H western events, timed events, drove draft horses competitively, tested up to a D3 pony club rating, ran barrels, showed on the rail and over fences.  This quest for everything equine prompted her to attended Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming after high school.   There she was the assistant teacher for green horse green rider classes, and assistant barn manager.  Becky enjoyed sharing her knowledge of horses with fellow horse enthusiasts. 

After she earned her Associates of Applied Science in Equine Training and Management, she went on to further her education at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, WY.  There she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology emphasis in genetics.  Wanting to combine her love of horses with her degree in genetics she took a position as an Assistant Breeding Manager for the reined cow horse leading trainer and his wife, Todd and Pam Crawford in Blanchard, OK.  There Becky was able to combine her education with hands on training from Mrs. Crawford and the attending veterinarian Dr. Brian Carroll.  She learned how to artificially inseminate mares, manage mares and foals, collect and ship semen, maintain computer records for breeding and billing.  She also helped with maintaining the breeding stallions conditioning, sales preparation, and general health and care for all ranch horses.  After a year and half of working at Crawford Stallion Station, Ms. Crow took the position of Breeding Manager for N.R.H.A. trainer Craig and Ginger Schmersal.  There she was solely in charge of all the breeding operation.  She was the stallion manager; collecting and evaluating semen, cool packaging, shipping and general health and care of the boys. Becky also personally foaled out all the mares, artificially inseminated the mares, handled and medicated foals, managed hormone treatments, embryo flushes and scheduled palpations.  With the help of Schmersal’s attending veterinarian Dr. Khris Crowe (no relation) they successfully foaled out over 80 mares, flushed embryos, bred with frozen semen, trained and managed difficult stallions.  It was while working for Schmersal’s that Becky met neighbor horse trainer and assistant breeding manager now fiancé Robert Smith. Due to Robert’s father being Dr. Bob Smith DVM of Palm Beach Equine’s and a reproduction specialist, she never had to explain the hardships of being an equine midwife making their relationship work personally and professionally from the first date. Now back to Robert’s roots of South Florida the combined knowledge of these two talented people, having been taught from the performance horse’s leading trainers, breeders and they are an asset to the performance horse industry.