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Ballena Vista Farm employs a team of horsemen & women who are dedicated, experienced, knowledgable & who have a genuine love of equines. Following is a short biography of some of them:
MANUEL OCHOA, Farm Manager - Manuel has occupied the Farm Manager position since 1991. He brought with him over thirty years of experience in the equine industry, including invaluable tutelage from the late, great Kentucky Derby & Eclipse Award winning trainer, Charlie Whittingham . A respected horseman, Manuel oversees every aspect of the Farm, concentrating on reproduction/breeding, training & horses sent to the Farm for rehab & lay-up. A father & grandfather, he & his wife reside on the Farm along with a menagerie of animals, including their dog Paco , a Black Lab/Great Dane mix who also acts as the official "visitor greeter" for the Farm, as well as two cats.
MIGUEL (“Mike”) JIMENEZ, Assistant Farm Manager – Miguel, a lifelong horseman, joined BVF in November, 2007, after spending sixteen years in the Assistant Manager's role at Valley Creek Farm. Following in the footsteps of his father, a retired jockey who galloped legendary racehorses Sunday Silence & Runaway Groom for Charlie Whittingham , Miguel grew up around horses at SLRD & spent five years in the Whittingham barn walking hots & grooming horses before joining Valley Creek, where his main concentrations were breeding, foaling, & managing sale consignments & the office. At BVF, the El Dorado College grad acts as Manuel's “right hand man”, assisting in the breeding shed, foaling out mares, working with the Veterinarian on rounds & handling sales prep horses. Along with his wife & two daughters, Mike is a Farm resident enjoys coaching his daughters' soccer & softball teams in his spare time.
VICKI H. RASMUSSEN, Office Manager/Stallion Bookings - Vicki joined the Farm in November, 2003, with prior experience at two thoroughbred farms. A pre-law graduate of California State University at Fullerton, her primary responsibilities are stallion season bookings & breeding records, advertising & business development, Jockey Club registrations & sale entries. She has owned several racehorses in partnerships since 1999; her current stable includes a retired Slewpy mare, Amanda Slew, her 2007 colt by Farm stallion Sea of Secrets, & the mare's 2005 Stage Colony filly currently in training, Sharon Slew . Non-equine related interests include football, ice hockey & anything related to the Florida Keys. Vicki makes her home on the Farm with her two dogs, Shellie and Lacey .
BECKY OCAMPO, Management Assistant – Becky came on board at BVF in February, 2007, occupying the newly created position of Management Assistant. A native of Texas, Becky received her education at Palomar Community College, & brought to BVF over five years of accounting & office workplace experience. She is primarily responsible for handling all Accounting tasks, (including our monthly billing), processing time cards & other Human Resources paperwork, & assisting the Grounds/Maintenance Manager with his daily responsibilities. Becky is bilingual, & she enjoys extensive community involvement in Ramona through her two children's school events & activities. Becky plays soccer & enjoys wakeboarding when time permits.
MEGAN KING, Farm Secretary – Our newest staff member as of May, 2008, Megan replaced Tashana Maynard, former Farm Secretary who moved to Arizona to live closer to her family. Megan's primary responsibilities include maintaining horses' health & farrier records, ordering/maintaining Farm supplies, greeting visitors both in person & over the telephone, as well as assisting the Office Manager as needed with special projects. Megan has experience in our industry working for the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club & also has worked for a bloodstock agent/sales consignor. Currently a Carlsbad resident, she has attended Palomar College as a Political Science major, & in her spare time she enjoys spending time playing with her dog, Devin.
CANDY REGEL, Farm Assistant - Candy joined BVF in December, 2006, in the newly created position of Farm Assistant, which involves responsibility for a multitude of tasks including training, riding & administering wormers & vaccines. A former apprentice jockey, she possesses over twenty years of experience working in various racetrack positions. Candy is very proud of her retired thoroughbred Diamond Accent with whom she has competed in many international level dressage events. Prior to beginning her equine career she attended Lincoln College in Illinois. She is bilingual in Spanish & French & enjoys studying languages & playing the piano & guitar during off-work hours at her residence in Ramona.
MARCELINO GORDILLO, Grounds/Maintenance Manager - Marcelino has been with the Farm prior to its ground-breaking in 1983. He & his crew ensure that the grounds & facility are kept in tip-top shape, both from a visual & serviceable standpoint, taking pride in making the Farm a showplace for residents, both human & equine, as well as clients & visitors. He is also a father & grandfather & resides on the Farm with his family.
MARTIN CHAVEZ, Trainer - Martin was promoted in 2005 to this newly created position. He is responsible for the initial breaking & training of horses on the Farm, as well as supervising the other riders. An employee of the Farm for over eight years, he also continues his duties as an exercise rider & groom. His association with Manuel spans almost twenty years. Martin resides on the Farm with his wife & children, one of whom, Cesar, aspires to be a jockey when he grows up!
JUAN RINCON, Stud Manager - Juan was also promoted in 2005 to the newly created position of Stud Manager, overseeing the very important care & activity of our stallions. He has been with the Farm for eight years, assisting in the breeding shed & serving as the stallions' groom. Juan as been an associate of Manuel for over twenty-five years. He & his family also are Farm residents.
ALEX RUIZ, Foal Handler - Alex joined the Farm in 2006 after gaining over fifteen years of equine experience at another thoroughbred farm. In addition to serving as a groom for us, he is primarily responsible for the overall care & handling of all newborn foals at the Farm. He also assists in the sales preparation of horses entered at auction. Alex resides on the Farm.
VETERINARY CARE - Dr. Gary Cranney , founder/owner of Cranney Veterinary Services in San Marcos, is the primary veterinarian for Ballena Vista; his associate is Dr. William Talbot. These experienced professionals in equine care & reproduction ensure that all horses receive the proper veterinary care, including timely vaccinations & parasite control. Drs. Cranney & Talbot have a combined five decades of experience in equine reproduction & are among the most well -respected in the field.
FARRIER CARE - Experienced farriers Paul Schiewe & Daniel Perez visit each week to provide their expert services to horses on the Farm, & are available for on-call assistance as needed.
Of course this list is only a partial one. Many supporting employees lend experience and dedication to the care of each human or equine resident on the Farm.
We invite you to call us for an appointment to visit Ballena Vista Farm and meet the staff.
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