The movers and shakers in Silicon Valley may have never heard of Virl Norton of Almaden Valley CA, but anyone who owns, trades, rides or races horses in North America has surely come across his name or been influenced by his contributions to equestrian sports. Virl was one of the last authentic old world horsemen of the west and winner of several endurance races including the Great American Horse Race of 1976.

A steeplejack by trade, Virl raised, trained and traded horses and mules and participated in endurance, ride-and-tie, chariot races and triathlons. He was a cofounder of the California Gymkhana Association and the Quicksilver Endurance Riders as well as a longtime member of the Santa Clara County Horsemen's Association. Known as the Mule Man, Virl also rebuilt antique carriages, trained zebras, blazed trails in Quicksilver County Park, and often offered his time to help guide the local youth. His dedication to horsemanship continued until his passing in 1995.

I met Virl when I was a youngster growing up in Almaden. Looking for summer work, I approached Virl repeatedly until he took me in to help around his ranch. Eventually, he would trust me to work several of his horses on a regular basis and we developed a friendship that lasted for years.

Recently, in a frustrated attempt to find information on the web regarding his life, I realized that there was very little available and took it upon myself to change that. I'm sure that there are people far better qualified to speak of Virl than I, but as no one has to date, I decided to take on the pleasant chore of compiling some data of this gentle westerner and present it to interested readers on the web. This website is an unofficial resource and tribute site for one of my early heroes.

You can help. Virl had many friends and associates in California and I call to you to help me build a small library of facts, stories and photos. If you knew or knew of Virl Norton, please share your knowledge by adding an article to the stories page. Those with photos to share may submit them for inclusion in the album. Thanks in advance to all for your contributions.