Backward Glance by Joy Halliburton

Have you ever noticed the western wall mural in the clubhouse? Want to know the history? Art Prunier, local artist with a studio in downtown Vista was commissioned to paint a western mural for the owner of the Texas Melody Ranch Restaurant on South Santa Fe Avenue in Vista.

This restaurant was solicited bylocal ranchers, horseback riders and VPR members. The artist asked Mark Hanna, then President of VPR, to rustle up some cowboys and cowgirls to meet at his plumbing shop to be models for Art’s painting. All the models were VPR club members including Mark Hanna, Bill Siburg, Tom and Pat Ramoss, among others.

“The blond lady leaving the carriage is probably me,” says Pat Ramoss. When the restaurant closed in the early 1950’s, the owner offered the mural to the club, then located on Bobier Drive. When the club house moved many years later to Little Gopher Canyon, Pat Ramoss reconstructed the canvas and had it framed. This was no easy project since the cut canvas scene had to be tediously pieced back together.

Member Story

Hello Vista Palomar Riders!

What a thrill to know this wonderful club is still going strong after all these years! On one of my endurance lists it was mentioned about a woman that rode the Palomar Trail in 1974. The writer thought this was part of the AERC endurance race competition and I wrote back that my memory of the ride in the fifties was of a group of dedicated trail riders going from the old Sante Fe arena up Vista Grande drive past my house onto the trails which now I believe is Eldorado Hills and over the mountains to Hoxies ranch in Gopher Canyon onto Pala Indian Reservation then up the grade to Palomar Mountain. But never was it a race.

I spent my youth as a member of the Vista Palomar Riders club. First on my pony Snowflake from about age 6-10 then I got my first "real horse" an off track TB mare at age ten, me that is, a 17 hh mare that was near impossible for this little girl to mount up on. Boy she was a handful but she sure taught me how to ride!

I remember riding to Fallbrook with the VPR to go in parades, Camp Pendleton to do drill team in the Rodeo there, so many fun times. Gymkhana at the old arena. Or just riding to the arena anytime I felt like it to work my horse and have the fun with other riders and club members. This was all back in the 1950's and early 1960's.  As I grew up I got away from horses and went on to other endeavors in life but never lost my love of horses that I started at age four with the little pony Snowflake.

I got back into horses about ten years ago and now I compete in AERC Endurance racing here in the Pacific Northwest. I ride Gaited Horses and am proving that they are very worthy opponents against our Arabian counterparts. I also am a breeder, train my own horses, sell my stock and stand three stallions at present.

It all started for me with the Vista Palomar Riders Club! I am so tickled to see this fine club has moved to the Gopher Canyon site, I lived not far from there and it is a splendid place for such grand activities.

I saw the mention of Tom Ramoss. Gosh, he was our farrier way back when I was just a little kid. Such memories your site has given to me. Oh! I just remembered *MA BROWN!* anyone remember that remarkable woman? She was older than dirt and rode the ride every year. Simply amazing!

I wish everyone involved with the club the very best of luck and may this great tradition bring the wonderful memories and good times to future generations.

Happy Trails! Amber Applegate