One gesture of kindness: An introduction of Bill Haven

written for Arabian Horse Times

It is sometimes hard to realize you are in the “good old days” while they are happening. In the Arabian horse industry, the decades of Lasma Arabian Ranch redefining training, Varian Arabians producing the best-of-the-best horses, and competitions attracting thousands of people to the stands are often referred to as those “good old days.” Bill Haven, as a second-generation horse lover, student of Jerry Smola (a past trainer at Lasma Arabian Ranch), and confidant of Sheila Varian had a front-row seat unlike anyone else. That generation of people knew they were part of something special. They relished in their successes, worked hard to improve the industry, tried new things, and most importantly, supported, encouraged and helped one another. Haven wants people to know that although you can’t replicate those years, history does have the ability to repeat itself.

The Arabian horse industry is facing unique difficulties at the moment. Lots of things are contributing to declining numbers, increasing costs, and changing demographics. Although Haven is not involved in the ways he used to be, he keeps tabs on the world that once ran his life. It was important to him then and it remains important now. True supporters of the breed want it to succeed at any stage, no matter their personal involvement. His perspective not only gives people a chance to hear a fresh point of view for some of the most iconic tales in our breed, but it is also full of ways we can learn from their mistakes and successes.

To fully understand his place in the industry, it is important to know what got him there. Like so many people, the origin of his story begins with someone falling in love with an Arabian horse. Bill’s mother Martha and sister Jane were the first two to be bit by the bug. This eventually led to his father Harral being the president of AHA and Bill training for Sheila Varian at the height of Varian Arabian’s competitive success. It goes to show that it only takes the love of one horse to entirely change a family. And the Haven family ended up helping form the industry and structure we know today.

A Family Matter

“It just became what we did as a family,” Bill remembered about the years he, his parents, and sister spent letting the Arabian horse dictate their worlds. “I personally grew up wanting to be the next Buster Welch, a cutting horse legend. But, as I spent more time around Arabians and learned about their physicality and special skills I fell in love with them as well. I was so infatuated with how many things they could do athletically. That athleticism is what really stuck with me.”

The Haven family’s involvement in Arabian horses grew from Jane and Martha’s interest into four generations of equestrians. Jane still serves on leadership for AHA Region 2, helping run a successful Club and attending convention as a delegate. In addition, she continued her parents’ legacy by breeding many champion horses. Her daughter Liz grew up competitively showing, earning many national championships. Now, they work together at Taking the Reins, a nonprofit in Los Angeles that uses predominately Arabian horses in their girls’ empowerment programming for inner-city, underprivileged girls. Liz’s son Jaxson is the youngest in the family tree. He learned to ride on Arabians and Half-Arabians and has an unmistakable love for horses. It is in their blood.

So many families have a similar story to theirs. The bonding and memory-making opportunities are plentiful for families. That was true in the “good old days” and is still true today. It is something that sets the Arabian apart from any other horse.

With the growing interest within the Haven family, sometime around 1963/64 they decided to capitalize on the business aspect of the industry. Martha and Jane were getting more and more knowledgeable about all parts of the Arabian horse. Their father saw the potential of making this a family business, so he started to get involved in ways that interested him. As already stated, this pinnacled with him being the president of AHA. But none of that would have happened if he didn’t answer when opportunity knocked.

Bill and Jane’s mom started to forge relationships with people in the industry like Winona Varian (Sheila’s mother), the LaCroixs and the Smolas.  These people had a priceless amount of knowledge. And they were happy to share it. Harral and Dr. La Croix had a special connection with their medical background. These relationships became life-changing for all members of the Haven family.

For example, Martha happened to be sitting with Winona during the 1964 Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show as *Bask entered the arena for the first time. Winona turned around to the group and said, “this horse will change our breed forever.”

Can you say, “understatement of the century?”

A Butterfly Effect

It was not uncommon for the Haven family to pack up their camper and head from Colorado down to Lasma Arabians in Arizona for weeks at a time. There, they would visit, learn, and absorb all they could about the wonderful horses on the property. The Smolas would also return the trip and come stay with them in Colorado. They all chose to open their homes and hearts to each other. It not only changed their lives, but our breed. For Bill specifically, he was given an amazing kickstart to his training career.

“Luckily in the summer of 1976, the same summer I graduated high school, the Smolas needed help moving to their new place in Sweetwater, Texas,” he reflected. “I could trade off helping them move by getting to work some horses and start my career.”

His career led him to break Huckleberry Bey, so the foundation he learned at Smolas clearly was important to himself and our breed. When you realize that Huckleberry Bey would have had a different start to his legacy if that family hadn’t taken a chance on a high school graduate, it’s pretty obvious that you never know the large impact of one small gesture of kindness. 

Many more important things happened over the decade or so after Bill landed in Texas. His family grew more involved in the breed, Harral using his skills as a private-practice owner and family leader to get involved in the politics of the breed, while his mother and sister continued to build their breeding legacy accumulating more and more knowledge.

One of the most impactful things that Harral had his hand in was moving the International Arabian Horse Association (the previous name for AHA) from Burbank, CA to Colorado. He and a few others felt like the headquarters needed to be more central in the country. A lot of important Arabian horse history lives in Colorado, like the first national competition that was held right in Estes Park. Harral was part of the group that led many of these charges that became the framework for the organization and systems that formed the current state of AHA.

Many people are working on necessary change within the Arabian Horse Association. Things have changed since those “good old days,” and it is time to have a new set of them. But, with Bill’s story and recount it seems that one big thing we must not leave behind as we move forward is the inclination to come together and share in our strengths.

To be continued …