What is “Norco Horseweek”? If you are familiar with “Horsetown USA,” you realize that there are 52 horse weeks a year in Norco. However, for 40 years now, “Norco Horse Week” is something more — a celebration of a lifestyle that is appreciated by this town’s residents and visitors alike. Fund-raisers, the rodeo, the chili cook-off, the parade, the dance — and don’t forget the rides! There’s much to see and do doing Norco Horse Week.

Click here for a full Norco Horseweek schedule and read residents’ favorite memories of events past.

The Norco Hall of Fame is looking for a few good champions to call its own. Nominations for 2010 inductees are under way, and the first step in the process is to obtain the induction application from the organization’s website, http://www.HorseTownUsaHallOfFame.com. Deadline for applications is June 7.

The mission of the Horsetown Hall of Fame is “to honor the trainers, breeders, riders and horses from Norco who have achieved championship status.”

After 16 inaugural Hall of Fame members were inducted in 2008, 13 were added last year.
Fund-raisers for the Hall include the upcoming Horsetown Hall of Fame Gold Tournament on Saturday, April 25. The shot-gun start, best-ball tourney has some great prizes, including $10,000 in cash and a pair of week-long trips — one to Hawaii, one to Las Vegas. It starts at noon at Paradise Knolls.

This marks the fifth year that the community will host a tour of Horsetown USA’s finest ranches, with proceeds benefitting the Norco Regonal Conservancy “Friends of Norco Hills” open space project.

The Fifth Annual Norco Ranch Tour will include stops at DeBruce Mini Ranch, Cutting Horse Ranch, refreshments at S&Z Ranch, White Farms and its Peruvian Pasos, and more for a $10 donation. A view of the Norconian Hotel from Red Cloud Stables and a trip to the Norco High School Ag and FFA departments are on the trip, too.

For more information, contact Norco Horseman’s Association President Danny Azevedo at AZrider@sbcglobal.net.

The Norco Horsemen’s Association turned Nellie Weaver Hall into an Old West Gambling Hall April 10, and more than 500 folks came to play. The big winners were the FFA students at Norco High School, which awards 10 $500 scholarships from this annual fund-raiser.

“It was a great turn-out this year,” says Denise Shoemaker, who helped her husband, Vern, lead the 19-member Casino Night committee for the second straight year of the event’s 14 years. “We’re looking forward to next year!”

Equestrians and residents in Chino Hill’s English Road area have expressed concerns about a proposal to build a large church in their neighborhood. The proposal seeks a Conditional Use Permit for a church at the intersection of English Road and Peyton Drive with a 297-seat sanctuary, 110 parking spaces, offices, and group assembly rooms in the midst of the city’s unique Equestrian Overlay area.