PASO ROBLES — Entries, purses and prizes all increased at this year’s National Stock Horse Association Futurity, and one rider in particular seemed to be in a zone. The Zane Zone.

Idaho-based Zane Davis, who had his breakthrough year in 2009 when he won the NSHA Futurity Open on Reymanator (Dual Rey x Savannah Hickory), did it again this year aboard Michelle Cannon’s Shiney Outlaw (Shiners Nickle x Mereyda), topping a long list of quality 3-year-olds to earn $15,900.

Davis also brought west Reymanator, who thrilled the Paso Robles Events Center crowd in winning the 2015 World’s Richest Stock Horse competition, sponsored by Hearst Ranch Winery, to become the first NSHA Triple Crown Champion — winner of its Futurity, Derby and World’s Richest events.

PERRIS — Jimmy Flores, Sr., whose horse career spanned eight decades and touched thousands, died Sept. 7 from complications of colon cancer after a brief, but valiant, fight.

Flores, a frequent fixture with his popular Jimmy Flores Cowboy Gear vendor booth at performance horse competitions in California and beyond, was admitted to Riverside County Hospital on Aug. 12. His daughter-in-law, Robin Flores, noticed him moving much more slowly than normal around the ranch, and she insisted they visit the hospital. They did just that — after Flores, Sr., saw his chores were done for the day, at his insistence, according to Robin.

ELK GROVE — In August, one never knows what to expect with the weather. It could be a warm 106 or a cool 86. The Summer Rein show was blessed to enjoy the lower temperatures and cool breezes.

The Summer Rein show is an NRHA approved and WCRHA approved show and was judged by Johnette Burman from Montana and BJ Le Master from Sacramento over the 3 days. We started the show at 7:30 on Friday and with the cooler temps we started the show at 9 on Saturday and Sunday.

Friday Night draw party was held at the Elk Grove Milling Pavilion and hosted by Lorraine Kemper, Future Homes & Real Estate. We served 105 carnitas taco dinners and then the exhibitors were called to the stage 1 by 1 to select their positions in Non Pro and Open Futurity and received a gift card and a Brookside Wine Glass.

Fall is fast approaching, and that makes me think of harvest time, which leads me to images long past of draft horses and farming. Long before we had tractors, draft horses were the original horse power that pulled all the various farming implements. In fact, horsepower is defined as a unit of measurement of power — the rate at which work is done.

There are many different standards and types of horsepower. The term was adopted in the late 18th century by Scottish engineer James Watt to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses and ponies. The development of the steam engine provided a reason to compare the output of horses with that of the engines that could replace them.

DEL MAR — Blenheim EquiSports is pleased to host the Young Jumper Championships Western League Finals again this year. After three rounds, one on Thursday, one Friday and the last one today, three young champions in three age divisions rose to the top of the results.

After Thursday and Friday’s qualifying rounds, all ten entries returned for the final round.

Two of the ten, Michelle Parker and Cross Creek Farm’s U.S. Warmblood gelding CCF Yasur (Ocean I x Andiamo), along with Jamie Sailor and Felyn Farm’s Hanoverian gelding Flashdance (For Edition x Quinar), jumped through all three rounds fault free. The two talented five-year-olds returned for a jump-off to determine the winner.

FABIANSEBESTYEN, Hungary – Kathrin Dancer drove accurately through the cones to finish fifth in the final phase of the 2015 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs Sept. 14 with a time of 3:07.37. She led the U.S. team, consisting of Jacob Arnold and Scott Dancer, throughout the entire competition and concludes these championships with an 18th-place finish. The U.S. finished ninth overall with a score of 391.6.

“This was such a great experience,” she said. “Everyone who was here supporting us was amazing; it was just a relaxing environment. The rest of the nations saw that the U.S. is a contender. Our horses are only going to get better from here.”

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As the toll of wildfires in Northern California explodes, news from recent fires in Oregon included relief from an Oregon Hay Bank to stricken equestrians.

The Oregon Hay Bank reportedly received a $5,000 donation for distressed horse owners facing hay shortages as a result of the wildfires in the Grant County area. The $5,000 donation from The Humane Society of the U.S., will be used to help horse owners with immediate needs to feed their animals, and those who may need help during the winter, according to published reports.

DEL MAR — After hosting a full schedule of hunter and jumper divisions, including two grand prix classes, the Showpark Summer Classic wrapped up a well-established equitation event Aug. 16 with three sections of second rounds and work-offs in the California Professional Horsemen’s Association Foundation Equitation Championship Finals. Divided into 22-over, 14-under and 21-under age divisions, riders faced challenging courses with work-offs built in, part of the Foundation format. The honorable Alex Jayne and Frank Willard scored, tested and ultimately awarded the final placings.

Round 1 tests included a counter-canter to fence 3 and walking fence 12 plus some tight turn options. After 27 entries competed in Round 1, the top prize for the round went to Stephanie Goodson aboard Poetic, who earned a first round average of 86.5. Second went to Renee Rodda riding Notable with an average of 85.5, and third to Katie Cramer on SS Brando with an average of 84.75. Only 6.5 points separated the top eight, with fourth through eighth awarded to Kathy Nolan, Tonya Johnston, Belle Calkin, Laura Owens and Virginia Fout, respectively.

HUNTINGTON BEACH — The California Reining Horse Association has a foolproof formula for putting on the summer’s coolest reining shows: Hold them at the beach.

That’s what the CRHA did Aug. 1 for its annual Slide On The Beach at the Huntington Beach Central Park Equestrian Center, and the raves — like the waves — came in.

“This is definitely our ‘coolest’ annual event,’ said CRHA board member Lisa Anderson. “Cool not only because this year’s temperature was 78 degrees with the benefit of Huntington Beach’s offshore breeze but, it also brings out the coolness of all our competitors.

Anderson said the camaraderie and fun was evident throughout the day, as competitors and spectators truly supported and cheered one another.