Departures of note

Marvin Earl "Monty" Roberts was born in 1935 in Salinas, California, the son of a horse trainer. He began riding at age three and competing in rodeos by age four. As a child, he also worked as a stunt double in films, including substituting for Elizabeth Taylor in "National Velvet" (1944).

Roberts developed his signature "Join-Up" method after observing wild mustangs in Nevada as a teenager. He believed horses communicated through body language, which he termed "Equus," and that humans could use this language to train horses without force or violence. This approach stood in contrast to the harsh training methods he witnessed his father use.

After a career as a rodeo competitor and horse breeder, Roberts began demonstrating his methods publicly in the 1980s. His 1996 autobiography "The Man Who Listens to Horses" became an international bestseller, translated into more than 15 languages and selling over five million copies. He gained a prominent admirer in Queen Elizabeth II, who invited him to demonstrate his techniques at Windsor Castle in 1989. Their friendship lasted more than three decades, and in 2011 the Queen appointed him an Honorary Member of the Royal Victorian Order for his services to her racing establishment.

Roberts regularly traveled to Germany, where he worked with the famous racehorse Lomitas at Gestüt Fährhof in Lower Saxony. He maintained training facilities in Solvang, California, and continued demonstrating his methods worldwide until his death on July 31, 2026, at age 91.