LOVLEI Ranch Founder Robin Hoffman Haack grew up with one foot in the surf and the other in the stirrup. Splitting her childhood between the beach and the ranch, she dreamed of blending both worlds into something meaningful.
Though her family were surfers, Haack discovered her passion for horses at just 8 years old. From all -around western events to jumping and finally cutting, she immersed herself in competition. That love eventually took her to Weatherford, Texas — the cutting horse capital of the world. There, she established herself as a formidable competitor, earning more than $600,000 in winnings, securing numerous championships, including the NCHA Super Stakes Non – Pro Champion and cementing her legacy with an induction into the National Cutting Horse Association Non-Pro Hall of Fame.
Texas gave her lifelong friends and cherished memories in the show pen, but her heart eventually pulled her back home. In the early 1990s, Haack returned to Southern California to help run the family’s fabric business, a legacy started by her grandfather in 1924. Today, she carries the responsibility alongside her brother as a third-generation leader, joined by her daughter and nephew as the fourth generation of a company that has thrived for more than a century.
That deep connection to fabric, combined with her champion Western roots, sparked her own brand of Western apparel, LOVLEI Ranch.
“We had always been behind the scenes designing and printing fabric for manufacturers and fabric stores all over the world,” Haack said. “I finally found the energy and ambition to create something of my own. We have a world of prints and fabric at our fingertips. I wanted to build a legacy for my family.”
Her brand, LOVLEI Ranch, was born from the same bold, competitive spirit that fueled her time in the cutting pen, offering apparel that reflects both her coastal upbringing and her life as an NCHA champion. Yet, despite her success in the fashion world, Haack admits she still misses the thrill of the cutting world.
“I miss all my cutting horse friends, and I wish I was still competing,” she said. “When I come to watch the NCHA Futurity, it really makes me want to get back in the saddle.”
Looking back on her dual successes in the arena and the boardroom, she offers advice to her younger self that resonates whether you are entering the cutting pen or launching a business.
“Work hard. There will be ups and downs, but keep going one step in front of the other and stay positive,” Haack said. “And know that God is guiding you every step of the way.”
This article originally appeared on Quarter Horse News and is published here with permission.
There are more informative and entertaining articles in our section on Health & Education. While you're here be sure to check out our Curated Amazon Store.
