Shot taken at the Lysakov Gallery in Pacific Grove - 65° Magazine

PERSONA 84
Diagnosed with dyslexia in the second grade,
Pullara, now an eighth grader at Palma High
School in Salinas, an all-boy Christian school, had
his share of learning disabilities. yet the moment
his grandfather bought his family an Arabian horse,
everything changed.
Three horses later, and somewhere between
learning to take care of and show Arabians at competitions,
not to mention place nationally, Pullara’s
self-confidence blossomed.
“It’s been great for him,” said mom Genevieve
Pullara. “The horses were for his self-esteem more
than anything else. It’s helped him out as a person.
It’s even helped him get into other sports. It’s
always been a positive thing for him.”
His difficulty with reading and spelling at an early
age was soon overshadowed by Candelariavf,
Vinnie, and Conquistadorvf, his three Arabians.
“I struggled with it (dyslexia) at school,” said
Pullara. “But I believe in pushing yourself and
don’t give up. If you keep pushing, it’ll eventually
pay off.”
Pay off, it did for Pullara, who, to date has garnered
three Canadian National titles in Western Pleasure,
one second place, and two U.S. National titles in
Country Pleasure Driving. He’s also won a reserve
U.S. National Championship in Western Pleasure.
It’s not a prejudice, more like a preference when
it comes to his horse-of-choice. It’s Arabians,
16.1 hands-down.
“I like their personality and how different they
are from all the others,” he said. “They’re a little
calmer and a little prettier.”
Born and raised in Carmel with his younger
siblings Austin and Lauren, whom he says are “not
into horses,” Pullara spends as much time with
his hoofed-buddies, of course, after the
homework is done.
“I’m with them after school and on the weekends,”
he said. When he grows up, he’ll carve out a living
with his best friends. “I want to ride horses for a
living and train Arabian horses!” said Pullara.
But life isn’t all about horsing-around for Pullara,
who enjoys other extra curricular activities. He
plays football (defensive tackle and center),
weight training, and baseball playing first base,
and left and right field.
His idol though, is his trainer Jim Lowe, owner
of Lowe Show Horse Centre in Somis, California,
near Los Angeles.
“He’s won so much and he’s such a good trainer,”
said Pullara. “He teaches me how to ride and he
trains the horses.”
Pullara’s dad, Chris, who got his first horse at age
four and said the entire family travels with his son
to all his competitions. He’s happy it’s taken his son
to new personal levels.
“It’s been phenomenal,” said Chris. “He spends
all his time with the horses and it’s taught him a
lot of discipline. He’s a hard-working son-of-agun!
It gives him something to do and the
family to watch.”
While the family’s farm also includes three dogs,
one cat and a tortoise, Pullara said some of his
classmates are afraid of his thousand-pound pets,
and he gives advice on how to calm the nerves.
“If you’re afraid of them, they’ll be afraid of you.
They can sense it,” said Pullara, who’s endured
his share of falling off. “If I’m nervous, they’ll be
nervous. So just be calm and don’t freak out.
They’re not trying to hurt you.”
In addition to horses and sports, Pullara also enjoys
dirt bike riding, going to the movies and just plain
old hanging out with his friends, but when it comes
to horses, there’s no other thrill quite like it.
“The adrenaline and the fact that anything can
happen,” he said. “you have to think before the
horse thinks. It’s a lot of fun, I love it!” °
Veins, veins, go away…don’t come again another day.
Dr. Robert Cushing received his undergraduate, medical school, and surgical residency training at the University of Michigan and served
as both a Staff Physician and Director at the CHOMP Emergency Department. For the last five years, he has specialized in Phlebology, the
diagnosis and treatment of vein disease. Vein care has undergone marked advances, which have increased the effectiveness and decreased
both the invasiveness and risk of treatments. Almost all vein care (including the treatment of spider, facial, hand, breast, and varicose veins,
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all treatment procedures and is a member of the American College of Phlebology.
Robert Cushing, M.D.
(831) 646-8346