Virl Norton

[Steve Shaw <sshaw@pacbell.net>]

Virl Norton used to bring anywhere from two to eight horses to many of 
the endurance rides in the west. He introduced many new people to the 
sport and was a way that many riders from other countries were able to 
ride the Tevis and other endurance rides. Virl could ride his worse 
horse and get it to perform as good as his best with another rider on 
it. I don't know why Virl thought mules were so good for endurance, but 
that is what he used when the going was the toughest. Virl always had 
good horses. I don't know if that was because he traded so many or if he 
had an eye for the best. He had a bevy of riders that worked them out. 
He always had a horse for sale. There were always four things you could 
get from Virl, good competition, good advice, a good horse or a good 
yarn. 

I don't know how many rider miles he actually had, not anywhere near 
Trilby Peterson, Smokey Killan, or Julie Suhr, but I bet if you added up 
the horse miles of the mounts he put out there you would have quite a 
few.

He was innovative, creative and a little crazy. He studied horses and 
horse people. A great endurance rider. When he couldn't ride anymore he 
started racing chariots. 

Anybody out there buy one of his horses or race them?

Steve