NORCO – With the 60th Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show on the horizon, Southern California competitors stormed to the Ingalls Park Equestrian Center Jan. 23-25 for the popular Sierra Empire Arabian Horse Association Show.

Each year – for 40 years now – the SEAHA event serves as a valuable tune-up before heading east for the Scottsdale show that gives trainers, exhibitors and owners of all levels a preview of potential rivals for the fall’s Arabian Horse Association National Championships. This year’s edition, with numbers slightly up, marked its second year in its new home in Horsetown USA.

Steeped in tradition, the SEAHA show has several special awards and perpetual trophies, and one of the grandest is the GG Ferrouge ++/ Memorial Trophy, presented to the Supreme Halter Champion. Signify DDA, a gelding handled by Samantha Price for owner Karsyn Patterson, took this year’s honor to cap a brilliant weekend. Patterson, who is 14, handled Signify DDA to a halter win in the Amateur To Handle class, and she also rode him to the Arabian Hunter Pleasure JOTR Reserve Championship.

Signify DDA, who’ll go to Scottsdale Feb. 12-22, was one of eight horses from the Priceless Arabians barn in Alta Loma that finished at or near the top of judge Jim Porcher’s results.

“It was a strong show for us,” said trainer Debbie Price, who recently relocated to the Canyon Creek Ranch facility. “The horses did well — same go every class, no boo-boos in corners. They were rock-solid the whole time and super easy to ride.”

Price added that four of the eight Priceless Arabians horses who fared well at SEAHA will be in Scottsdale, including Signify DDA and another star in Norco, Maxim LOA with owner-rider Margo Minissian. Minissian, a mother of two who works as a nurse scientist, rode “Maverick” at last year’s Scottsdale event and fell in love with the gelding. She acquired him from Susan DeMeo of Rancho Cucamonga in last April.

“We’re very excited,” said Minissian, who took SEAHA titles on Maverick in Hunter Pleasure ATR and Hunter Pleasure AOTR classes as well as the Hunter Pleasure Select Rider title – classes she’ll enter in Scottsdale.

Minissian’s routine is a passionate one, riding with Price one to two times weekly. Her horse, family and work commitments require good organization, she says, and Price is a difference-maker.

“My routine is pretty much going out to the barn one to two times a week, and Debbie gives me very in-depth one-on-one instruction so that we are really able to fine-tune the areas that I am in need to tune up,” said Minissian, who supervises the Barbara Streisand Women’s Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute while she completes her doctorate at UCLA.

“I am a good student, but it really comes from her instruction. She has the horses very finely-tuned. I think what makes it most successful is when you can teach your amateurs how to ride, as closely as you can, to how the professionals ride so that we are cueing them properly and really understand our horse.”

“For busy professionals like myself, I wish that I could have them in my backyard, but it’s just not feasible where I live and with my professional line of work,” she added. “Having Debbie really allows me to compete at that level without having to be there seven days a week. She’s really capable of teaching us how to maximize our time together.”

Time at the barn has proven to be good family time, too.

“We really try to work our weekends around spending good, quality time out at the horse stable,” said Minissian. “My children both ride horses and they play soccer and instruments — these types of things. Debbie works with our schedule, but we really try to build weekends around spending time together at the stable.”

The stable environment is, well, stabilizing.

“I think with being a mother and the heavy demands of a professional career that it’s really important for us to make time for those things that we are really passionate about,” she said. “If I can do it, anybody else can do it. It’s just being a good planner, and incorporating family time alongside of it, which I think most horse people do.”

PA Raptor, ridden by Tami Pacho to the SEAHA Arabian Reining Open win, will also vie in Scottsdale from the Priceless Arabian barn, as will Ponti RDR, who’ll be shown by Patterson in Showmanship and Adult Seat Equitation (14-under).

MORE ONLINE: http://bit.ly/502A_SEAHA

40th Annual Sierra Empire Arabian Horse Assn. Show
Jan. 23-25, 2015 * Ingalls Equestrian Center, Norco, Calif.
Show Champions and Reserves
Pl Horse/ Exhibitor/ Owner,Hometown

Arabian Western Trail Horse Open Championship
CH Marco NA +/ – Kathy Bast – Patricia Hoye, Ramona
RS Cytting Pretty – Kathy Bast – Rosalee Burrell, El Cajon

HA/AA Western Trail Horse, Open Championship
CH Yellowstoan – Michael Damianos – Judith Ann North, Ranch Palos Verdes
RS Alada Promise+// – Yvette De Priest – Yvette De Priest, Norco

Arabian Western Trail Horse, ATR Championship
CH Hoku Alii +// – Stella M Brown – Stella M Brown, San Diego
RS Noing + – Alice Reese – Alice Reese, Fullerton

HA/AA Western Trai Horse, ATR Championship
CH Alada Promise+// – Yvette De Priest – Yvette De Priest, Norco
CH Dress Blues – Ashley Price – Ashley Price, Ranch Cucamonga
RS Buggati LOE – Christian Umemoto – Christian Umemoto, Temecula

Arabian Country Pleasure Driving, Championship
CH Vendettaa – James O Lowe – Beth Jupp, Rancho Santa Fe

Arabian Country English Pleasure Junior Horse Championship
CH Kickstart My Hart – Kimberly Anne Verhage – Deborah Cullen, Acton
RS Maverikk – Rhonda R Karsten – Sarah Bancroft, Carlsbad

Arabian Hunter Pleasure Jr Horse Championship
CH PA Elcarim – Kim Arranaga – Hannah Glaser, Rolling Hills Estates

Arabian Western Pleasure, Jr Horse Championship
CH Kharmel J – Brett A Becker – Lawrence F Jerome, Barron, WI
RS Perseus Pmb – Laura Ann Cole – Laura Ann Cole, Morgan Hill

Arabian Hunter Pleasure, JOTR Championship
CH PA Elcarim – Hannah Glaser – Hannah Glaser, Rolling Hills Estates
RS Evg Jericho – Samantha Crosmer – Samantha Crosmer, Upland

Arabian Hunter Pleasure, AAOTR Championship
CH Maxim LOA – Margo Feather Minissian – Margo Feather Missian, Pasadena
RS Forte Afire VF – Jill Contreras – Jill Contreras, Simi Valley

Arabian Country English Pleasure, ATR Championships
CH Reaching For The Stars ER – Breanna Cisneros – Breanna Cisneros, Grand Terrace
RS Serinity ER – Bridget Vice – Donald H Schmidt, San Bernadino

HA/AA Country English Pleasure, ATR Championship
CH Mr Boombastic ++// – Lauren Aguilera – Lauren Aguilera, Upland
RS Green Acres Appollo – Keeley Bullard – Mona Nicole Belts, Temecula

HA/AA English Pleasure Open Championship
CH SF Stonewoods N Cook – James O Lowe – Jamie Costanzo, Escondido
RS Something Blue – Jonathan Ramsay – CSC Breeders, Pilot Point, TX

HA/AA Breeding Mare Championship
c Josies Heart Of Gold – Mackenzie Wayne – Mackenzie Wayne, Norco
RS Imagine Fame++/ – Bill Melendez – Susan G Mekeel, Temecula

Arabian In Hand Gelding Championships
CH Evening Shayde – Rocksanne Pieters – Rocksanne Pieters, Ramona
RS Signify DDA – Karsyn Patterson – Karsyn Patterson, Uplands

Arabian Breeding Mare Championship
CH Tia Bella – Margaret Vanden Broek – Margaret Vanden Broek, Norco
RS Mercedes ER – Bridget Vice – Rosewood Arabians, Norco

Arabian Breeding Stallion Championship
CH Steele Temptation – Caroline Stack – Steve Lauzier, Colombia, MO
RS Mi Valorem – Phillip Chavez – Cheryl Clegg

Arabian/HA/AA Supreme Halter Championship
CH Signify DDA – Karsyn Patterson – Karsyn Patterson, Uplands

HA/AA Hunter Pleasure, ATR Championship
CH Dress Blues – Ashley Price – Ashley Price, Ranch Cucamonga
RS Encounter Me – Brandi Scimone – Brandi Scimone, Chino Hills

HA/AA Western Pleasure, Open Championship
CH WH Macnificent – Michael Damianos – Priciscilla D Stuart Galgas, Oak view
RS Imagine Fame++/ – Bill Melendez – Susan G Mekeel, Temecula

Arabian Hunter Pleasure, ATR Championship
CH Maxim LOA – Margo Feather Minissian – Margo Feather Missian, Pasadena
RS Evg Jericho – Samantha Crosmer – Samantha Crosmer, Upland

Arabian Country English Pleasure Championship
CH SCF Aathena Bey – Alexis Cole – Alexis Cole, North Hollywood
RS Kyss SMA – Sarah Ann Karsten – Tami Dubois, Highland

Arabian Western Pleasure AOTR Championship
CH Na Brins – Joann Landin – Joann Landin, Norco
RS Perseus Pmb – Laura Ann Cole – Laura Ann Cole, Morgan Hill

Hunter Pleasure Championship
CH Dress Blues – Samantha Price – Ashley Price, Ranch Cucamonga
RS HS Cinders Girl – Tamera Bowles – High Star Farms LLC, Las Vegas

Western Pleasure ATR, Championship
CH Donovan PCF – Sannene Garehime – Sannene Garehime, Las Vegas, NV
RS Lucky Wish – Jake Connell – Karen L Klienfelder, La Habra Heights

Arabian Western Pleasure, ATR Championship
CH Cytting Pretty – Rosalee Burrell – Rosalee Burrell, El Cajon
RS Cazius Klay Cf – Jenna Bailey – Jenna Bailey, Pedley

HA/AA Country English Pleasure, Championship
CH Heir Force One CCF – Jonathan Ramsay – Ann Simic, Burbank
RS Judita Amore BPA – Katherine L Rich – Katherine L Rich, Temecula

Arabian Hunter Pleasure Championship
CH Marco NA +/ – Kathy Bast – Patricia Hoye, Ramona
RS Rodan Ltd – Ricky Johnson – Dazzo Arabians LLC, Albuquerque

HA/AA Hunter Pleasure AOTR Championship
CH Sky High Connection V – Madison Hardy – Madison Hardy, San Dimas
RS Momentum LPR – Mary Catherine Buchanan – Mary Catherine Buchanan, Redondo Beach

Arabian Western Pleasure Championship
CH Aj Khema Gabriella – Bill Melendez – Alan Tavener, Murrieta

Arabian Country English Pleasure Select Rider ATR Championship
CH Kd Elijah Bey – Theresa Oakley – Theresa Oakley, Carlsbad
RS MC Miss Korinask – Madison Fenton – Madison Fenton, Upland

Arabian Hunter Pleasure, JTR 18 & under Championship
CH Noveau Baskin TJP – Marianna Graziadio – Marianna Graziadio, Redondo Beach
RS Marco NA +/ – Hannah Baca – Patricia Hoye, Ramona

Arabian Mounted Native Costume, ATR Championship
CH Balize Pr – Kurt Wacker – Rosewood Arabians, Norco
RS Serinity ER – Bridget Vice – Donald H Schmidt, San Bernadino