Her Life

Elizabeth “Betty” Veal passed away after a long illness on Sept. 4, 2004 at age 77. She was born in Panama on April 25, 1927.

Her life took her to many different places while her father served in the U.S. Army and her family frequently moved to various locations about the globe. Her love for horses grew from spending time around the U.S. Cavalry units at the various forts where the family was stationed. During the 1950s, she moved to Auburn where in 1955 she married Jack Veal. Together they established Toyon Farms where they raised Appaloosa horses and Doberman Pinscher dogs. The two later divorced.

 

Mrs. Veal was an icon in both of the local endurance events, the Western States Trail Ride – Tevis Cup 100 Miles One Day and the Western States Endurance Run. She served on the board of governors of the Western States Trail Foundation and in 1955 was appointed the first ride secretary by Wendell Robie. She also sat on the Board of Trustees of the Western States Endurance Run Foundation and was integral to the Medical Support Team. In 1959, Mrs. Veal was the first woman to complete the Tevis Cup Ride on an Appaloosa stallion named Crow.  She and her turquoise and white “Veal-Mobile” truck were fixtures at every Tevis Cup Ride and Western States Endurance Run.

Betty with Actor Peter Brown who rode Crow in an Auburn parade.

Photo credit and learn more about Crow: Appaloosa Territory

 Her career as a nurse spanned 50 years in local hospitals including Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital.

She is survived by a sister, Pat Ann Baer of Konstanz, Germany and a brother, Robert Odell of Santa Maria, and their families, as well as many friends and members of the Western States Trail Ride and Western States Endurance Run.

Courtesy of Gold Country Media