I’m very sorry to hear the news about Bob Walz.? Bob
was a great horseman and invented several items that are still being used in
the sport of endurance today.? I’ll remember Bob for many reasons.
Bob was a Tucson
resident back in the early eighties when my family started riding endurance.?
We traveled to many rides together and often conditioned horses together.? At
over 6’ 5’’ Bob had some big feet and needed a stirrup to
support his clod hoppers.? Being a great metal fabricator Bob came up with the
first E-Z Ride Stirrup designs in the early eighties.? The stirrup worked for
Bob and he ended up selling them to all his endurance friends.
Bob was also an incredible diesel mechanic.? In the mid
eighties, Bob removed the diesel engine from a large dump truck and retrofitted
the engine for his ¾ ton Chevy.? He then fabricated several diesel tanks that
carried over 150 gallons of diesel.? His truck and fuel tanks were the envy of
every endurance rider.? The truck could not only pull any trailer but it had an
incredible range.? Most production diesel trucks are now similar to what Bob
put together in his garage.?
Bob got in a bit of trouble with his truck in the late
eighties.? Bob would drive the truck across the US
border to NogalesMexico in order to fill the 150+
gallon tanks with cheap diesel fuel.? Diesel in Mexico was $.40- $.60 a gallon back
then and Bob was always looking to save money.? After many successful trips to Mexico, Bob was
put in a Mexican jail and the truck was impounded.? Bob spent several weeks in
the Mexican jail as many local Tucson
friends and endurance riders rushed to get him out.? With a bunch of effort
from my family and many others Bob was released.? Bob had some wild stories
after the release.? Every Tuesday night at the jail was “gringo night”
and all the gringos were beat up.? After a couple beatings Bob made the appropriate
friends.? Although Bob was released they didn’t release his truck.? Bob
went back to Mexico, cut
open the impound gates and drove the truck back to the USA without
stopping at the border.? Several years later my dad purchased the truck from
Bob, we still have it.
Bob was my sponsor twice at the Tevis Cup.? When you ride
100 miles with someone you really get to know them.? Bob helped get me and my
horse through the Tevis twice. ??Bob was scared of riding in the dark and my
horse loved ripping down the California Loop below Foresthill.? I can remember
Bob yelling “Whoa Bruce, Whoa Bruce”.? It went on for hours.
In the mid nineties I approached Bob and offered to purchase
his E-Z Ride Stirrup and Equine Heart Rate Monitor business.? Bob transported
all the equipment down to Tucson from the Auburn area and trained our staff to manufacture his
stirrups.? The stirrups have been a great success and are used by endurance riders
around the globe.
