Ada Gates - From a childhood pony to parade horses

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Ada Gates Patton became the first woman in the United States and Canada licensed to shoe Thoroughbred racehorses.  In her youth in New York and Long Island, Ada competed in show jumping and fox hunting for 20 years. After universities, Ada owned a ranch in Colorado and started shoeing Western horses on ranches and racetracks.  Ada moved to Southern California to work on Thoroughbreds at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar where she achieved Journeyman status.  She maintained an active full time shoeing career for over 36 years. Ada shod world champion Miesque for the 1987 Breeders' Cup Mile, setting a Hollywood Park track record which earned her the 1987 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Female Turf Horse. Ada shod Wild Again during his career in California and for the first Breeder’s Cup Classic which he won at Hollywood Park in 1984.  She was the farrier for Chinook Pass, Eclipse Award Champion Sprinter at Santa Anita in 1983.  Director of Racing, Jimmy Kilroe, appointed Ada to be the Horseman’s Liaison and Official Stand By Blacksmith for the 1986 Breeder’s Cup at Santa Anita.  Ada worked as the farrier for Monty Roberts, horse trainer, during the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s for the Two Year Old in Training Sales and is the official farrier to the Monty Roberts Online University and the Monty Roberts International Learning Center in Solvang, CA.  Ada has been a Featured Writer for industry magazines including articles for The Blood Horse on patching quarter cracks and The Thoroughbred Times: solutions for hitting horses.

Ada has also had a long service as farrier to the Flintridge Riding Club and shod hunter jumpers for the Pan American World Games and the 1984 Olympics.  She was appointed the Farrier Liaison for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and was in charge of all shoeing for 350 horses from 33 countries.  For the past 30 years, Ada has been the Horseshoe Inspector for the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day in Pasadena CA.  Ada has received one of the top awards given to any farrier, the Edward Martin Humanitarian Award.  She was inducted into the American Farrier’s Hall of Fame in 2011.  She currently serves as President of the California Thoroughbred Foundation, a charitable association for racing and manager of the Carleton F Burke Library’s history of racing in California.  Ada owns and operates Harry Patton Horseshoeing Supplies in Monrovia, CA. She is the widow of Harry Patton, her mentor.  

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