Longtime member and supporter of the NRCHA and NCHA and mentor to many, Wayne Havens, passed away on Monday, July 7.

Services were held on Saturday, July 12, at 10:30 am at Denari’s Funeral Home in Jackson, California. A reception followed at Teresa’s Restaurant in Jackson.

For additional information, contact Ron Emmons at 209-418-8080.

Wayne J. Havens was born December 7th, 1930. He was 15 and competing in his first calf ropiong competition when his father died. Dr. Mac Campbell took him under his wing, encouraging him to be an accomplished polo player. Wayne returned to his western roots when he was inducted into the Rancho Vistadores in 1977 (a week's ride in the Santa Barbara hills with such highly respected prominent citizens as Ronald Reagan). In the same year, he officiated at the Cow Palace Grand National.
The following year Wayne was President of the California Reined Cow Horse Association and was Stock Horse Man of the Year for outstanding contributions to the cow horse industry. In 1981, he traveled to Australia to hold clinics for cutting horses and returned in 1983 as a judge for the Australian Quarter Horse Association. He served as President of the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association in 1983 and 1984 and in was inducted into the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association Hall of Fame in 2005.
In recent years Wayne, along with his partners Jerry Ninnes & Ciro Toma, developed Sutter Crest Estates and Lake Amador Ranch (a 40 acre parcel residential development). With his friends Frank Halverson and Ciro Toma, Wayne developed the Sierra West Business Park in Martel. Not foregoing his love of horses, Wayne ran the cutting horse competition for the Amador County Fair for the last few years. As recently as 3 weeks ago, Wayne was helping Ron Emmons with his cuttings.
Wayne is survived by his sister, Geoff Zimmerman and her husband Paul, his son Mark and his wife Mary, along with their children Jessica and Travis with his wife Melissa. Wayne leaves behind his companion, Sally Sansom. He is also survived by his nephew, Jeff Zimmerman and his niece, Paula Swayne, 6 adoring grand nieces and nephews and 3 great grand nieces and nephew and many, many wonderful friends.