Norco is called “Horsetown USA” for good reason (see article on page 40), and when this community puts on a casino night, it’s a horseman’s “don’t miss” event. The Norco Horsemen’s Association will help celebrate Norco’s 50th Birthday with its 18th Annual Casino Night on Saturday, March 15, at Nellie Weaver Hall. This fun event features blackjack, roulette, craps – and new for this year –faro! There will also be hourly “Pot of Gold” drawings, a prize wheel and a $500 Grand Prize. Enjoy great music and take advantage of the Western Saloon and Chuck Wagon. All proceeds will go to support the Norco High School FFA Scholarship Fund and other community events. Get your pre-sale tickets for $20 each, which will include a limited edition coin that commemorates Norco’s 50th Anniversary. See ad on page 45, and visit www.nha-norco.org for details!

The City of Fillmore is inviting interested parties to submit their Request for Proposals (RFP), for the Concession Operation of the Fillmore Equestrian Center. Currently the 18.5(+/-) acre property provides affordable boarding stables for up to 100 horses, a roping arena, 4H grounds, along with hay and feed sales. The property is located at 308 Chambersburg Rd, adjacent to Hwy 23 in Fillmore. Proposals must be submitted by Thursday, March 20, before 3 p.m. You can download the RFP at the website, www.fillmoreca.com. For questions and additional info, please call the City Clerk’s office at (805) 524-1500, ext. 211. Also, see the ad on page 50.

Don’t turn your nose to bad breath! That odor might signify a serious health risk, with the potential to damage not only your animal’s teeth and gums but its internal organs as well. To address the significance of oral health care for pets, Dr. Jacob Johnson with the AVMA and other veterinary groups are sponsoring National Dental Health Month in February, with a 20 percent discount on dental procedures. Preventive medicine is the key to a happy, healthy and productive life for your animal. Dr. Johnson has chosen to focus on dentistry because many equine owners are not aware that the root of several of their animal’s health or attitude issues stem from problems in the teeth and jaw alignment including colic, weight loss and performance. Take advantage of the discount! Call Advanced Equine Dentistry /Mojave River Equine Veterinary at (888) 247-8337 for an appointment today!

How fast can an expert natural horsemanship trainer tame and ride a colt? That question will be answered at the Colt Starting Challenge USA, held March 15-16 at Heaven’s Ranch in Chino Hills. The horses have never been saddled, bridled, or ridden at all. Come watch four talented contestants compete to gentle and tame these unbroken horses in just a few hours, and ride them through an obstacle course. Judges will decide the winner, and prize money will be awarded. Buy your tickets now, only $15! See the ad on page 34 for more information, or call (808) 269-3408.

Calling all reiners! Don’t forget: the Cactus Reining Classic is right around the corner, to be held March 5-9 in sunny Scottsdale, Ariz. With over $200,000 in added money and prizes, you don’t want to miss out on this exciting event, which is also the first stop of the 2014 Trifecta Non Pro Reining Challenge! Make your plans today, call Brumley Management Group at (602) 677-3774 and check out the ad on page 7.

Highly successful Grand Prix jumper trainer Peter Petschenig and his wife, Iris Petschenig, an AQHA All-Around trainer, both of Salzburg, Austria, are now in Southern California. Rose Valley Performance Horses is working out of Hillcrest Equestrian Center located in Chino Hills. Peter has won numerous Grand Prix events in Italy, Chile, Austria and California, along with high finishes in World Cup competition. Peter, who also holds a Masters in Business Administration, has ridden and trained for an impressive list of top owners, sponsors around the world including Sportpferde Puchner (Austria), Haras Siracusa Osorno (Chile and Austria), and Sportheste Inc. (California). Peter will focus on building a successful Hunter-Jumper barn and will soon be a regular at all the major events, starting with HITS Thermal. In Europe, Peter’s wife Iris specialized in training AQHA all-around and reining horses until she sold her Austrian ranch. Earlier in her training career, Iris worked in the states for White Diamond Ranch, Darren Stancik Reining Horses, Craig Johnson Reining Horses and Bobby Harrison Quarter Horses. When Petschenig trained in Europe, she worked for Prevedel Performance Horses located in Pordenone, Italy before she went out on her own and purchased Rose Valley Performance Horses in 2001. Iris also holds her European AQHA and NRHA judges cards. To find out more information about Peter and Iris Petschenig and their professional approach to training, see the ad on page 33, and call (714) 883-2037.