Before Rancho Las Camelinas came into being, Fermin Leon already owned horses most of his life. He worked with horses and mules growing up in a ranch at the foot of a mountain, Cerro Grande, in Guanajuato, Mexico. It was an agricultural community, growing crops of corn, sorghum, alfalfa, wheat, beans, garbanzos in fields and up the sides of the mountain. Fields were plowed with animals pulling plows, guided by the farmers, and often young boys of the ranch.
During festival and holiday times, there were rodeos with bull-riding, roping, music and dances, and that continues today. Fermin participated in all of these activities, but riding and training his horses is what he loved most.
After coming to the United States to work, Fermin was able to get a horse and become involved in the horse community in the Bay Area in California. He made a friend who introduced him to the Andalusian, or Spanish breed of horse and that has been his love ever since. Don Leon, foaled in 1994, was his first Andalusian horse and from there, he was able to sell breedings, acquire a mare, and have an occasional foal to sell.
At this time, we have our stallions, Amadeus, RLC and Napoleon, AR, who is retired. Napoleon, who was foaled in 2004, has been the foundation sire of Rancho Las Camelinas. Of the more than 40 horses that Fermin has bred, registered, sold over the past 25 years, Napoleon is the father of many. The three registered brood mares, Farolera, Cordelina and Napoleona, have had beautiful foals, so the stable is thriving. The organizations that Fermin’s horses are registered with are ANCCE (Asociacion Nacional de Criadores de Caballos de Pura Raza Espanola) – Spain and IALHA (International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association) – in the US.
Since moving to Lincoln, CA, Fermin has become active in No. CA horse groups in Lincoln, Auburn, Woodland and other surrounding communities. They participate in parades, religious fiestas, family gatherings and quinceneras, weddings. Rancho Las Camelinas is a good place to be.”