TEMECULA — Something new was something popular at the first Southern California Reined Cow Association event of the year, the Pot-O-Gold Show held at Casner’s Ranch March 14-15.

Ranch riding classes, tested in a pair of SCRCHA events last September and October, made the line-up for 2015, and the classes attracted numbers.

“They’re are a great complement to the regular working cow classes,” said SCRCHA Past President, non-pro Laura Edwards. “Pretty much all the working cow horse skills are brought into it. The actual pattern itself is pretty much ‘everything slow and easy.’ But it’s a lot harder than it looks!”

Ranch riding is one of five categories of the American Quarter Horse Association Versaility Ranch Horse competition, designed to promote the horse’s athletic ability and versatility. This class shows the horse’s ability to move at a working speed with a rider chiefly in three gaits ­- walk, trot and lope — in each direction. According to AQHA, the horse’s performance should simulate a horse riding outside the confines of an arena and that of a working ranch horse. Responsiveness of the horse while performing requirements and the horse’s quality of movement are primary considerations.

Fellow SCRCHA board member Roy Rich had been competing in ranch riding classes for sometime, said Edwards, who also witnessed them first-hand at an AQHA event in Las Vegas last year.

“It just kind of made sense as the next step for the club, to kind of break up the reining patterns and slow the ponies down, give the exhibitors another event to show,” she said. “It’s attracting pretty much across the board. It’s just a really good event for your reining horse — a good complement.”

The Amateur Ranch Riding class had 17 entries, with Sarah Bradley winning on her Very Smart And Sure. Darleen Wood took her Wimpys Sassy Shiner.

Rich won the AQHA Senior Ranch Riding title on Janet Minehan’s Skeet Shootin, with Sheryl Lynde riding Rick Hoffman’s Machs Peppy Lena to the reserve as well as the SCRCHA Senior Ranch Riding championship. Leslie Ingham rode her Chics Dig Guinness to the SCRCHA Senior Ranch Riding reserve.

Hoffman took the Junior Ranch Riding title on his Dry Sugar Chic, with Rich in second on Sadie Naskiia.In regular working cow classes, familiar faces finsihed on top. Rich took RockinJ Ranch’s Half Time Report to the AQHA Senior Working Cow Horse title as well as the NRCHA Open Bridle crown, with Aaron Brookshire finishing second on Linda Collins’s Stylish N Petite in the Open Bridle.

Glen Aspinall claimed the SCRCHA Open Bridle crown on Michele Amon’s Moody Blues Brother, with Donnie Bricker in reserve on Elanaboonsmal,owned by Danielle De Marce Stanton.

Lynde took Machs Peppy Lane to the NRCHA Limited Open Bridle, and Kristi Berg rode Joy Ghiselli’s Dancin At Night to the reserve.