Legendary, National Reined Cow Horse Association, NRCHA, Hall of Famer Doug Williamson represents the America’s true West Heritage and Legacy.
Born and raised on an Oregon family ranch, his love for horses grew and it wasn’t long before he was winning competitions from the early age of 8 years old.
He credits many of his skills to the old timers he learned from. In the mid-sixties he took a break from training full time, and decided to rodeo for a living. On the road for almost a decade, Doug calf roped, team roped and rode a few saddle broncs, winning prestigious events all over the West, including the Ellensburg Rodeo.
In 1978 Doug went back to training full time in Idaho, and for the next 14 years he trained everything from halter horses and cow horses, to English horses.
He made over 30 American Quarter Horse (AQHA) Champions in many different events, and ranks among the AQHA’s most successful trainers.
In 1990 Doug was hired to help build the horse operation at the Tejon Ranch, so he packed up and headed to California.
In 1992 Doug and Mr San Olen captured the Open title, and since 1990 Doug has made the finals nearly every year. After a few years at the Tejon Ranch, Doug moved to Bakersfield, and started up again on his own, and in 2002 he captured his second Snaffle Bit Futurity Championship
From riding behind his Dad’s racing horses at 5 years old and living for months on the open range driving cattle, to winning two Snaffle Bit Futurity titles, he remains at the tender age of 78, a contender in the tough reined cow horse competition to this day.
He enters about 30 competitions a year. And he’s not planning on hanging up his spurs anytime soon…. Even at 78. Doug won the 2019 CD Survivor Memorial Open Bridle Spectacular Champion, riding ARC Sparks Chics.
Life sometimes throws us curves we never ever expected, like the many times Doug was thrown from horses and broke many many bones over the years. In this line of work, it’s to be expected.
Or even the time in 1987 when he was diagnosed with cancer. He pulled through the cancer, and in classic fashion, was aboard Montana Lynx 7 months later, taking the reserve championship and winning over $20,000 at the Biggest Little Cutting In The World.
But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine a client of his, Attorney Fred S McAtee in Bakersfield, CA, whose horses he boarded, and who later became his lawyer, would encourage him and his wife Cindy to enter into a very ambiguous partnership.
In the process, McAtee took unfair advantage of his former clients, and engaged in a course of fraudulent conduct and patently unreasonable business dealings so as to achieve for himself and his wife, in the law, what he was unable to achieve in his short foray into the cutting horse business—a 50% interest in his reputable, well-respected and successful cutting horse ranch and its operations, which was and continued to be maintained through and by the hard work of Doug and his wife over the last ten years. Now they stood to lose everything they worked for to an attorney they had trusted.
This fraud case is a poster child for the rule…… That if you are an attorney, don’t go into business with a client and if you do make certain you have complied with the rules of professional conduct that protect the client from being taken advantage of by an attorney.
Fortunately for Doug, he came to a very well-respected attorney and long-time friend and fellow horseman, Ralph Wegis, and was successful in getting a verdict for fraud and punitive damages against this former Attorney, Fred S McAtee for $1.5 million dollars.
Ralph Wegis has earned the highest respect from citizens and lawyers alike…. as one of the best Trial lawyers in Bakersfield, and in California His firm’s goals are…… Not ONLY To get Justice for his clients…but to make sure that everyone is treated with equal respect and dignity as guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States.
Ralph has built a substantial reputation by consistently winning cases other law firms have turned down. His amazing courtroom skills and headline grabbing success rate continue to provide his clients with the results they need……And the results they deserve.
You can get more information on Ralph Wegis at his law firm http://ralphwegis.com/ or call (661) 635-2100