Rick Osteen photo

Amici BB, owned by Tilley Andalusians of Hemet and shown here in a victory pass after winning the National Champion Saddle Seat Junior Horse last year, shined at the three-judge Region 1 show Aug. 13-15, taking the Region Champion Senior Stallion title with Bill Deeney handling, as well as the Region Champion Best Movement.

“I told her right there that I had first dibs if she ever decided to sell him,” says Nadine, owner of Tilley Andalusians in Hemet.

Two years later, she bought Amici BB, the handsome son of Escamillo. Now a 6-year old, he’s a good candidate to win a International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association Senior Grand National Stallion Championship in Fort Worth, Texas, in October.

Amici BB won the IALHA Region 1 Senior Stallion Championship and also the Region 1 Best Movement title at the three-judge Regional Championship Show held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center Aug. 12 – 15. The event also served championship classes for Regional 10 International Friesian Show Horse Association.,

“He’s just a noble stallion — he’s got a wonderful, kind temperament, and he’s very versatile,” Nadine says the horse affectionately referred to as “Mr. Fabio.”

Courtesy photo

Beau, ridden by Lauren La Vine for owner Carol Carfagno, was undefeated at the Regional show in five disciplines -- Hunt-seat, Western Pleasure, Show Hack, Fantasy Costume and Country English Pleasure Saddle Seat.

On the Friesian side of the big weekend, Beau, owned by Carol Carfagno and trained and ridden by Lauren La Vine, shined brightly and appears ready for the IFSHA World Championship Show in Del Mar in October after going undefeated in five different disciplines. Titles came in hunt-seat, western pleasure, show hack, fantasy costume, and country English pleasure saddle seat.

“We are very excited to be competing this year at the Friesian Nationals,” says La Vine.

Other top performers included Balitor, a Bay Andalusian stallion owned by Dana Kanstul and ridden by youth rider Zoe Robertson, with four Regional Championships and a Reserve Regional Championship, and Jessie Shields, another youth rider who showed multiple horses at the show including her own stallion, Centello H. She took a championship and four reserves. She also showed the beautiful Andalusian mare Afrodita M Suay for Amandalusian Farms, gathering regional titles in Show Hack and a Reserve Championship in hunt-seat open.

Courtesy photo

Madeline Kendrick (left) on Incognito, owned by Joanne Asman, and Rachel Frieman on Amuleto, owned by Isabella Grigorian, each won a Regional and Reserve Championship in the Western 13-under division.

The International Friesian Show Horse Association World and Grand National Championship Horse Show will be held Oct. 13-17 at the Del Mar Arena in Del Mar, Calif. In addition to its prestige as a pinnacle of Friesian competition, the event also will be a fund-raiser for the Freedom Stallion Project.

For more information on the IFSHA World and Grand National Championship show, visit http://www.ifshaworld.com. More about the Freedom Stallion Project is at http://freedomstallion.org.

The California Horsetrader is the Official Horse Publication of the 2010 IFSHA World event.

More results: See website http://bit.ly/10Regionals

Kenneth Kraus photo / PhelpsSports.com

Zone 10 teammates (from left) Richard Neal, Taylor Siebel, Lucy Davis and Saer Coulter take the victory stand along with Chef D’Equipe Mary Manfredi after winning the team competition of the 2010 FEI Adequan American Young Rider Show Jumping competition July 30 at Kentucky Horse Park.

In addition to the California’s Young Riders team title, the Junior Rider team award went to the Alberta, Canada, squad.

A thread between the respective Young Rider and Junior Rider teams is trainer Dick Carvin of Meadow Grove Farm in Lake View Terrace where he trains two of the Young Riders, Lucy Davis and Richard Neal. He also travels to Calgary, Alberta, to train Bretton Chad, a member of the gold medal-winning Canadian Junior Riders.

“I had Ricky and Lucy on the Young Rider Team and Bretton on the Junior team — it was an exciting week,” said Carvin.

Olaf Peterson, Jr. designed a demanding test at Kentucky Horse Park for each group of riders that included a double combination, a triple combination and a tricky open water obstacle. Each rider completed a first round course and the rider with the greatest number of faults had their score dropped before having all faults added together. The six teams with the lowest fault count after the first round returned to tackle the course for a second time in the same format.

Zone 10 took an early lead after the first round of competition during the Young Riders section with and eight-fault total. The team included Neal with Cavalier Tommi Tank, Davis on Nemo 119, Taylor Siebel aboard Thunder-Ball, and Saer Coulter riding Chalan. The group continued their domination during the second round under the guidance of Chef D’Equipe Mary Manfredi with another eight-fault score for a two round total of 16 faults to win the gold medal.

“We had an idea of what to expect after competing her last year,” noted Coulter, a member of the Zone 10 team in 2009 that earned a bronze. “Last year was definitely very hard and challenging, and this year was just as challenging — but I think we came prepared expecting something that was of the same level.”

Neal added that the level of competition makes the Young Riders competition special.

“These are the biggest jumps and the hardest courses we will face all year, so it’s a great place to do it,” he said. “You always learn a lot coming here.”

Carvin noted that the current assembly of Zone 10 riders has always ranked strong.

“We’ve always had a really strong zone, he said. “This group of kids grew up together. Somebody from another Zone said to me, you guys have so much camaradie within your group.’ Well, I can tell you all of these kids are friends – they’re not just hanging out here because they at the Zone. They all hang out with each other. They go out to dinner. They spend the night at each other houses. It’s really close-knit.

“I think the clsoeness has made this group stronger they are always against each other, in a healthy way. As a result, they keep riding to bigger and bigger levels. You see your friends out there, moving up in a division, starting the grand prixs and it makes you say, `I’m ready…I want to do it!’.”

The silver and bronze medal winners were determined by a jump-off between Zone 5 and Zone 2. They each scored 20 faults during the first round and 12 faults during the second round for a 32-fault total. All four horse and rider combinations from each zone were required to show over the jump-off course. During the jump-off Zone 2 accrued 12 faults while Zone 5 incurred just 10 faults.

The silver medal was presented to Zone 5 riders, which included Ali Wolff with H & M Necoll, Kirstie Dobbs aboard Kolette, Theo Genn riding Paradox, and Taylor McMurty showing Just An Illusion. Champion rider Wilhem Genn acted as Chef D’Equipe for the group.

Last year at Woodside, Fappani pulled a hat trick I the Derby Open, winning first, second and third places – the championship coming on board Shiner Olena.

The battle for the Derby Open reserve crown featured Wimpys Little Buddy (Wimpys Little Step x All That’s Dun x Hollywood Dun It) ridden by Martin Muehlstatter for Kim Dooley of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Star For The Chicks (Smart Starbuck x Dun It By Chick x Hollywood Dun It), ridden by Randy Paul for Rancho Oso Rio, also of Scottsdale. The matching 230s earned each of them $5,444.

John O’Hara photo

Andrea Fappani takes Custom Smart Olena, owned by Steve Simon of Marietta, Okla., to a championship in the $30,000-added Derby Open at the Reining By The Bay, held July 20-25 in Woodside.

In the Non-Pro Division, Rick Christen of Whitehouse, Ohio, marked a 225 to win the $15,000-added Derby Non-Pro on his Skeets Little Annie (Skeets Peppy x Oaks Little Annie x Doc’s Oak). Christen also won the $5,000-added Intermediate Non-Pro and $2,000-added Prime Time for an additional $2,517.

Scottsdale’s took her 2010 NRHA Derby Non-Pro Champion, Custom Country (Custom Crome x JJM Sunny Delight x Bar Money Sunny), to the Non-Pro Reserve Championship with a score of 223 that earned $3,231. Custom Country is owned by Tom Dooley, the rider’s father.

John O’Hara photo

Martin Muehlsteatter rides Wimpys Little Buddy for owner Kim Dooley.

Marc Gordon, riding Dox Steppin Out (Wimpys Little Step x Dox Rosie O Grady x Doc O’Lena) owned by Marc and Kathy Gordon, Elgin, Ill., scored a 220.5 to win the $3,000-added Limited Non-Pro, the $2,000-added Level 1 and Reserve in the Prime Time  divisions earning a total of $2,341. Scott Nicolaides of Valley Village, riding his Flip N Yankee (Rowdy Yankee x Flip Cee Cody x Flips Red Oak) scored a 220 for Reserve in the Limited Non Pro and earned $662. Royal Worbets was the Level 1 Reserve Champion on Berry Shiney (Shining Spark x Custom Red Berry x Custom Crom) owned by Rafter D Reiners, Inc., Pritchard, BC, Canada. Worbets scored a 219.5 and earned $494.

In addition to his Derby success, Fappani also took the $10,000-added Futurity Open on Sweet N Custom (Custom Crome x Sweet BH x Be Aech Enterprise) , owned by Amanda Brumley of Cave Creek, Ariz. Their 148 championship score earned $3,401. Gunners Oak (Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner] x Doc Oaks Charm x Doc’s Oak), ridden by Martin Muehlstatter for Tom Dooley, was reserve with a score of 147 that paid $2,878.

Horse In Sport photo

Jaime Azcarraga and Selcius

The Scott Starnes-designed course had several twisty turns and combinations — a total of 16 efforts were included in a tight time allowed of 83 seconds.

“Having not seen a lot of the [Mexican] horses jump, my objective was to get most around but challenge them,” Starnes said. “There was a nice mixture between local and Mexican talent. Azcarraga is a master and he rode really well.”

Azcarraga said the course was more difficult than it looked.

“The turn to 4A-B caused a lot of problems.” he said. “All of the jumps fell down. It did ask a lot of questions.”

Azcarraga and Selcius were the first to negotiate the shortened track of eight fences and entered the ring with the win in mind.

“I tried to go as fast as I could to put the pressure on the rest of the riders,” said Azcarraga. “I was lucky.”

The pair zipped around in a time of 42.39, leaving all of the fences up — apparently not an easy act to follow. Next in the ring, Nilforushan and Pegasus had a quicker time of 42.04, but knocked the last two fences down for eight faults and fifth place. Even faster than the trips before her, Van Breemen and Chepepe La Escondida had a great time of 39.86 but also incurred eight faults, ending up fourth. Parker and Clever looked as though they were going to take over the lead but lowered the height of the second to last fence in a time of 41.69 for second. Pizarro in the tack of Crossing Jordan Mercedes Benz also dislodged a rail early in the jump off in a time of 42.60 for four faults and third place overall.
Staying in California through the Showpark All Seasons Tournament in September, Azcarraga and several other Mexican riders have been competing at the Blenheim horse shows for many years.

“I brought five of my own and two of the kids’ horses.” he said. “My son was fourth in the 1.35m Classic so we are happy campers today.”

Horse In Sport photo

Nick Haness and Gelato with Blenheim EquiSports Marketing Director Melissa Braunstein and Bobby Drennan

Given the 2010/2011 qualifying season’s new scoring, each of the 4’ options jumped was automatically awarded one point, so up to four points were added to both set of judges’ scores.

Sitting third after the first round, Haness and Gelato managed the trot fence, snake jumps and hand gallop with ease, earning the highest handy total of 202. Going in last, Geller can certainly be proud of her first round performance aboard Fabricio; however, an unfortunate rail on the handy course bumped her to seventh position with a score of 239 overall. It was Gelato’s impressive trip that brought their total to 378 overall, four points above Forbes for the win.

“For me — I’d never competed out of our country. I’d never BEEN out of the country,” said Bond, who received a hero’s reception upon return to Rancho Dos Palmas in Vista, where she trains. “It was just really exciting.”

And challenging. The fastest-growing sport in the equine industry, Extreme Cowboy Racing is a timed and judged event that demands both horsemanship and speed. It confronts both horse and rider with an extreme obstacle course of moguls, bridges, log crossings, tunnels, cowboy curtains, roll backs, and water crossings.

EXCA photo

Robin Bond and Chapo negotiate the 'Cameron Curtain' obstacle at the Calgary Stampede Cowboy Up Challenge Extreme Coybow Race. THey finsihed second by a single point after three days of competition.

“It was the most fun challenge of the event,” said Bond, whose 109.5 final score on “Chapo” fell second to Canadian cowboy Glenn Stewart on his 10-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, Genuine Jet Smooth.

“None of the horses wanted to walk into the spotlights.” she added.”Then, the spotlights appeared to be chasing them, and the horses didn’t want to be hit by the lights. Horses were bouncing off the walls for the first 15 minutes of this exercise — until they realized that the lights weren’t going to hurt them. Then the lights could be used during the performance.

The uneasiness caused by spotlights affected early go’s. Several horses, including Chapo, had issues.

“We were doing an intricate pattern of lead changes, and the spotlights were moving around him,” Bond said. “It caused him to break the trot on a number of occasions. But everyone had to deal with the same set of circumstances, so it wasn’t an unfair thing. We just didn’t score as many points on that obstacle as we would have otherwise.

Horsetrader photo

Rider poses with owner of Chapo, Ricky Cruz (from left) and Ann Laddon, owner of Rancho Dos Palmas in Vista where Bond trains.

After jitters led to a fifth-place finish in Day 1, Bond and Chapo relaxed in Day 2 and dominated, winning by more than six points over the second day’s runner-up, Kelly LaBlanc on Peppy’s Classic King.

Why the difference in scores?

“The first day, I fell into the classic trap of people who do jumping, trail obstacles – anything with your horses. I was looking AT the obstacle instead of THROUGH the obstacle. The second day I analyzed that and I paid attention. My focus was always on going THROUGH the obstacle, not the obstacle itself.

“The old adage, `throw your heart over the jump and the horse will follow.’ The same thing with this. If you don’t look through the obstacle, you’re going to be stuck on the obstacle. That was the difference.”

Day 3, the finals, was a classic tight match between the two front-runners. On this day, a close race went to Stewart, in his first EXCA race — which also was the first EXCA race in Canada. LeBlanc finished third, almost 6.5 points behind Bond.

The most challenging obstacle for Bond turned out to be filling a mailbox that stood high above the ground — and moved. Such creative details in obstacles are designed to test specific trained abilities, and they thrill spectators and entice riders.

The trophy buckle.

“At at event like this, they gave us a map of the course in the morning between 10 and noon, and the event happened at 3 p.m. — so we had the diagram,” Bond said. “But what we weren’t able to see was what the actual obstacles looked like. For instance, the diagram said, `take the mail and put it in the mail box.’ What we didn’t see until 15 minutes before we went was that the mailbox was 14 feet high in the air and it swiveled. It was on a pole that moved when you touched it. You’d reach for the latch, and the latch had a strong magnetic clasp. You couldn’t open this mailbox with one hand.”

During the three rounds of competition at the Cowboy Up Challenge, organizers changed the course each time, dotting the Saddledome infield with courses that Bond says inspires her to push for more visually enticing courses in California’s line-up of EXCA events.

“You can take a back-through `L’ obstacle and just have four poles on the ground, and you’re required to back through it,” she sais. “You can make that 20 times more challenging by putting a skull and a buffalo hide next to it — it makes it a different obstacle, a different degree of challenge.

“Horses see things very differently than people do – that’s one of the reasons why in the show jumping they use a lot of jump standards and different sized rails and planks and different foliage. Each time, if it’s not just visually interesting for the person, it makes it visually interesting for the horse.”

Bond’s next EXCA competition will be the Surf City Cowboy Challenge in Huntington Beach Aug. 14-15, but she will ride another horse — not Chapo, who at age 13 gets a rest after already qualifying for the 2010 EXCA World Championship Show Nov. 12-14 in Topeka, Kansas.

“I don’t want to show him as much because he’s 13 years old,” she said. “Plus, Chapo actually belongs to my boyfriend, and I want to make sure that he gets to enjoy his own horse some, too!”