Courtesy photo

Frank “Scoop” Vessels

Vessels, 58, of Bonsall, was flying his light plane when it crashed at 8:55 a.m. about 80 miles south of Burns, a Harney County Sheriff’s official said. Vessels’s passenger and his friend, Sam Bartley Cannell, 73, of Anderson, also was killed. The two were on their way to Montana from Redding for an annual fishing trip with friends when the 1962 Aero Commander 500-B broke apart and fell from the sky, Sheriff David R. Glerup said. The two men were killed on impact and the aircraft was completely destroyed, Glerup said.

Vessels, whose family founded Los Alamitos Race Course in the 1940s, was elected to the Jockey Club in 2004, the year he served as president of the American Quarter Horse Association. He subsequently served as president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association and was a successful breeder of Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. At the family’s 2,800-acre Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, Vessels stood the all-time leading Quarter Horse sire by progeny earnings, First Down Dash, as well as a former leading Thoroughbred sire in California, In Excess.

Three Thoroughbred stallions and five Quarter Horse Stallions stand at the farm this year.

In a partnership that included Cannell, Vessels campaigned Little Bit of Baja, who won the $818,850 Los Alamitos Super Derby for Quarter Horses in 2008.

Vessels took over the family’s equine operation in the early 1990s after the death of his mother, Mildred. The family’s original farm was in Cypress, adjacent to Los Alamitos racetrack, which Scoop Vessels’s grandfather, Frank Vessels, founded. The family owned the track until the early 1980s, when the farm was moved to northern San Diego County.

Vessels is survived by his wife, Bonnie, and three sons – Bryan, Colt and Kash.

The Vessels family has requested that a memorial fund be established at the American Quarter Horse Foundation for a youth scholarship in memory of Scoop. Our hope is to raise funding for an endowed scholarship to be given annually in his name. Gifts can be forwarded to the American Quarter Horse Foundation, P.O. Box 32111, Amarillo, TX 79120 or can be made online at https://services2.aqha.com/oldonations/signon.aspx.

On Aug. 23, the new San Diego County Equestrian Foundation will meet 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Town and Country Resort and Hotel in San Diego. Chandra Waller, general manager of Land Use and Environment, will be on hand along with consulant Jim Whalen of J.Whalen and Associates. For more information, contact Terri Cagle at (760) 720-5088 or visit www.sdcef.org.

On Aug. 4, San Diego County Department of Planning and Land Use staff met with concerned equestrians at the Valley Center Library and suggested a “tiered permitting structure” similar to one used recently by an association of vineyards to facilitate a zoning change in the county. A Sept. 1 workshop, scheduled 6-8 p.m. at the Valley Center Library’s Community Room, will further examine the process that area equestrians hope will lead to changes in the current onerous demands of obtaining equestrian special use permits. More information on the Valley Center meeting, including directions to the library, can be obtained online at www.equinezoning.com. Organizers also ask that suggestions be emailed to the Equine Subcommittee at equinezoning@gmail.com.

PtHA photo

KELLY RESHESKE… 2010 Miss Pinto of America

The 18-year-old Reche Canyon resident, who has trained with Jerry and Shelley Lunde of Norco since 2006, became a PtHA member three years ago and is a member of her local charter, High Desert Pinto. She was the High Desert group’s first queen, representing them as “Miss High Desert Pinto” 2010 -2011, when President Fral Lelli and Sector Director Laura Fowler encouraged her to run for the title of Miss Pinto of America.

She also showed two of her Lunde Show Horses-trained Pintos at the PtHA World Championships, William Potter and Certified Stride — earning Top Five with both. She rode William Potter in the pageant classes.

“He is such an awesome all-around horse and just a general good guy,” Resheske said of her 8-year-old gelding. “I love him.”

Her mother says that once her entry was accepted at the National office, life changed.

“We are all proud of her,” said Sandi Resheske. “The competition was way harder than we ever imagined. Kelly is very excited as to what the upcoming year holds for her.”

Resheske won the pageant, which originated in 1956, by virtue of capturing the best cumulative score after seven divisions, including riding ability in both English and western equitation, public speaking, Miss Appearance, Miss Photogenic, Miss Congeniality (voted on by the contestants), Miss Hipology (knowledge of horses and Pinto), Miss Personality and finally Personal Interview where each girl was privately interviewed by three judges. She won four divisions — English Equitation, Miss Personality, Miss Appearance and Miss Personal Interview.

If there will a pang in her 2010 reign this year, it will stem from the PtHA’s decision to end the program after 2010, a victim of tight economic times.

“We are devastated to see Pinto end their Queen contest,” said Sandi. “Kelly’s goal is to hopefully make Pinto see the benefits of keeping the contest alive.”

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DREW ROGERS and SHEZ EYE CANDY… APHA Youth 13-U All-Around Champions

The show drew 2,035 entries with 579 horses over the course of 11 days and awarded $300,000 in cash and prizes. In addition to the 118 horse show classes, the Association also hosted the biennial Youth World Games; the Youth Team Tournament; a youth horse judging contest sponsored by Hart Trailers; Paint For A Day, an open all-breed youth horse show; jackpotted open all-breed classes; a Chris Cox clinic and a gift show.

The focus of the Summer World Show is mainly on the Youth competitors. This year’s show featured 337 Youth horses and 1,312 Youth entries in a full slate of 75 classes, including the Youth Versatility Challenge and Parents’ Western Pleasure. An additional 35 international Youth participated in the Youth World Games.

Winning a Reserve High Point in the Walk-Trot division was another Californian, Morgan Deuschle of Bishop riding One Hot Machine.

Texas was the highest-represented state in terms of you entries with 226. California was next-highest with 48 horses, followed by Colorado with 34. A total of 39 states and 4 international countries were represented.

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NCHA photo

Gavin Jordan of Wilton receives his NCHA Hall Of Fame Open Rider award from Chubby Turner, 2009-10 NCHA President.

The ceremony was part of the NCHA Annual Convention held June 18-20 at the Hilton DFW in Grapevine, Texas. Entry in the NCHA Open Rider Hall Of Fame is based on earnings of more than $1 million or by winning a combination of designated events. Joining Jordan and Costello were three other riders, including Zeke Entz of Collierville, Tenn., Sean Flynn of Weatherford, Texas, and Lee Francois of Murchison, Texas.

New inductees to the NCHA Members Hall of Fame included Judy Burton Armstrong, of Gladewater, Texas; Bobby Cook, of Port Allen, La.; Carolyn Crist, of Fort Worth, Texas; Don Neuenschwander, of Houston, Texas; Dave Robson, of Calgary, Alberta; and Mike Wells, of Houston, Texas.

The NCHA’s “Affiliate of the Year” award, recognizing an outstanding organization based on entries at the affiliate’s shows, innovations, awards and sponsorships, went to Western States Cutting Horse Association. Gail Holmes and Dan Stroh were in attendance to accept an official NCHA trophy on behalf of Western States.

A special recognition by the American Quarter Horse Association, which recognizes the top breeding horses based on money earned by their offspring in NCHA competition during the calendar year, also took place. Chers Shadow was the 2009 leading dam, and co-owner Lindy Burch of Oxbow Ranch accepted the award. Cat Ichi earned the 2009 leading freshman sire trophy, and Guy Woods accepted the trophy on behalf of Jo Ellard, EE Ranches. High Brow Cat took home his seventh leading sire award, with Jack Waggoner, Waggoner Ranches, accepting the award.

Cutting horses are inducted into the NCHA Hall of Fame based on their earnings or by winning at least two designated major events or World Championships. This year’s inductees include Hydrive Cat, owned by Shane and Jane Plummer of Fort Worth, Texas; Metallic Cat, owned by Alvin and Becky Fults of Amarillo, Texas; Oh Cay Felix, owned by Patrick and Laura Collins of Lincoln, Ill.; Our Little Dyno, owned by Jeffrey and Margaret McCoy of Weatherford, Texas; and Third Cutting, owned by Carl and Shawnea Smith of Jacksboro, Texas.

Non-Professionals are inducted into the NCHA Hall of Fame based on earnings or on having won a combination of designated events. Five non-pros this year include Lindy Ashlock, Baird, Texas; Spunky Hawkins, Morton, Miss.; Billy Martin, Millsap, Texas; Lach Perks, Rockford, Ill.; and Stacy Shepard, Summerdale, Ala.

The NCHA also filled its slate of new 2010-11 officers during the weekend. Former Temecula, now-Weatherford trainer Chris Benedict will serve as NCHA President for the next year, taking over for another former Californian who moved to Weatherford, Chubby Turner. President-elect Keith Deaville, of Covington, La., is next in line for the presidency and will take the position at the 2011 convention.

The National Cutting Horse Association has more than 20,000 members from a wide range of backgrounds. Each year more than 2,200 NCHA-approved events are held throughout North America, with more than $43 million in prize money awarded.

UC Davis photo

The UC Davis Equine Teaching Program

Equine facilities supervisor Joel Viloria said six yearlings, a pair of yearling mules, two Warmblood/Thoroughbred cross weanlings and two broodmares were sold at a sale average of $550. The sale-topper brought $875.

“It’s a low sale compared to what we’ve had in the past, but it’s a tough time,” said Viloria.”On the bright side, the horses and the facility looked great.”

If you are a potential student or benefactor for the UC Davis program, more information may be obtained on your opportunities by contacting Viloria at (530) 754-4156 or by emailing jeviloria@ucdavis.edu. Additional information on the program can also be found on the institution’s website at http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/horsebarn/Contact/Contact.htm.

The Breeders’ Trust Select Sale will consist of 50 head of top American Paint Horses that are all nominated to APHA’s popular incentive program, the Breeders’ Trust.

“We look forward to providing the industry and the public an opportunity to select from some of the best Breeders’ Trust-nominated show horses, show prospects and breeding animals in one place during one of the Association’s largest events,” said APHA Director of Breeders’ Trust Steven Imhof.

The sale will be held Saturday, Nov. 6, in Fort Worth during the Fall World Championship Paint Horse Show. All horses must be nominated to the Breeders’ Trust or be a mare in foal to a 2010 Breeders’ Trust subscribed stallion.

APHA’s Breeders’ Trust program was created to help offset the cost of showing and to add value to American Paint Horses. The program pays cash dividends for points earned by nominated horses at APHA-approved events, and is designed so that everyone responsible for the success of an outstanding foal is rewarded financially: the stallion subscriber, foal nominator and horse’s owner. In 2009, each point earned in APHA competition was worth $15.03.

Consignment deadline is Aug. 10. Forms and details are available at aphaworldshow.com/fall or you can contact Steven Imhof at (817) 222-6441 or simhof@apha.com.