DEL MAR — Californians Ashlee Bond and Richard Spooner competed as part of the U.S. Nations Cup team against some of the world’s best in Europe this past summer–and that experience proved to prepare them and their horses well for Grand Prix events upon returning to the United States.

In their first competitions back in California, Bond of Santa Monica, Calif., and her Cadett 7, a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Little Valley Farms of Calabasas, Calif., took consecutive victories at the $40,000 Summer Classic Grand Prix on Aug. 22 and $50,000 Grand Prix of Showpark on Aug. 29. Both of the events were managed by Blenheim EquiSports and held at Del Mar Horsepark.

Earlier, Spooner of Agua Dulce, Calif., won the $25,000 Blenheim Summer Classic I Grand Prix riding Conquest of Paradiso within days of coming back on Aug. 9 at Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano. Spooner and Conquest of Paradiso followed up with a second-place finish Aug. 15 at the $35,000 Blenheim Summer Classic II Grand Prix.

PASO ROBLES — Minutes after their roar in the night air of the Chumash Arena, spectators filed from the grandstand, right past him. Bob Avila sat on Chics Magic Potion near the gate, thanking by-passers for their congratulations after a textbook, 225 fence work had left the rider atop the talented field of the 2009 National Stock Horse Association’s Golden Hills Auto World’s Richest Stock Horse Competition.

There, Avila and the horse stood, awaiting their queue to return to the arena for a line-up trophy photograph. Then quietly, casually he said this would be the “Magic’s” final competition.

“He’s been a great winner, and I want him to go out a great winner,” said Avila, whose last win on the 9-year-old stallion came six years almost to the day of his first one — the 2003 NRCHA Cow Horse Classic. “He’s done so much for me. I’ve had him since he was a 2-year old. I want him to retire when he’s on top.”

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Caroline Ingalls and Small Town earned the Overall Champions title at the 2009 U.S. Equestrian Federation’s National Junior Hunter Championships–West Coast, hosted by Blenheim EquiSports, held Aug. 11-12 at Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park.

More than 40 juniors from various West Coast locales hunted their horses for two days of competition and exhibitor parties under cloudless skies.

With an overall three-phase adjusted score of 251.6, including impressive Classic scores of 88, 86 and 88, Ingalls riding Small Town, a Large Older Junior Hunter Hanoverian gelding, owned by Chris Iwasaki, took home the Monarch International Perpetual Award for the West Coast and a gift certificate for The Clothes Horse. The Overall Reserve Champion was a Small Junior Older Hunter, Pringle, ridden by Amber Henter and owned by Ashley Pryde.

DEL MAR — After a decorated show-jumping career, Summer, a gray 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, entered the show ring for the last time Aug. 29 for her retirement ceremony. Summer and her long-time rider, Mandy Porter of Encinitas, Calif., have won numerous Grand Prix events, and competed at prestigious events, such as the 2007 and 2008 FEI World Cup Jumping Finals. Summer was also honored as the Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association 2006 Horse of the Year.

Summer’s retirement was held at Blenheim EquiSport’s All Seasons Summer Tournament at Del Mar Horsepark, prior to the $50,000 Grand Prix of Showpark, the first in a series of World Cup Qualifiers for the 2010 FEI World Cup Jumping Finals. The evening of Summer’s retirement marked the end to her Grand Prix and World Cup career, but it was the start of competition for next year’s World Cup hopefuls.

Continuing in a Series
In the next few installments, Les Vogt takes you through exercises of his Five Easy Pieces. When you’ve mastered them, you should be able to put any part of your horse’s body where you want it, without resistance. This time, we introduce Exercise No. 2: Shoulder Control.

Up until this point, we’ve primarily focused on influencing the horse’s head and neck through lateral and vertical flexion. In this lesson, you’re going to move back a zone and learn to control the shoulders. Once you can do that, it opens the door for many of the maneuvers that you’ll be working on in the future.

TEMECULA — The horse community came out to support the Norwood family at the Ella Norwood Benefit Horse Show on Aug. 29 at Casner Ranch. Friends of Bill and Kelli Norwood organized the fund-raising horse show, auction and dinner to help pay for medical costs of their daughter, Ella Maree Norwood, who at just 5 weeks old this past April, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a form of cancer. After a successful surgery at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, doctors reportedly are confident they were able to remove all of the tumor. However, insurance coverage is limited, and hospital bills are high.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Eight different wildfires in California from August through September forced the evacuation of horses throughout the state. The biggest one, called the Station fire in Los Angeles County, has consumed more than 160,000 acres. Many Southern California horses took shelter at major evacuation sites, such as Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, Antelope Valley Fairgrounds in Lancaster, and Los Angeles Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

By the beginning of September, about 90 horses found safe haven at Los Angeles Pierce College’s Equestrian Center, which has accommodations for up to 200. Most of the horses came from the evacuated areas of Tujunga and Acton.