Bridget Vice shows Serenity ER in a costume class during the Jan. SCHAA Show held at the L.A. Equestrian Center.

Laurie Taylor/TMA photo

BURBANK — While Southern California weather took a desert-like reprieve from mid-winter storms, the Southern California Half-Arabian Association had its own desert-like rehearsal as its new show slot in late January gave participants a chance to warm-up for February’s Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.

The 2016 SCHAA Arabian and Half-Arabian Horse Show had changes both to its venue and its calendar, moving to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Jan. 22-24. Previously, the competition was held at Galway Downs in Temecula in May, on the weekend prior to the Region 1 Championship Show in Del Mar.

“When these dates came open for us, we really scrambled quickly and pulled this show together,” said Kay Kelley, who is in her fourth year as Show Manager of this event. “It worked out great for us. It filled a spot for people to get ready for Scottsdale, and to get ready for the show season. It’s a great facility and the people are exceptionally nice to work with.”

So was the Galway Downs management, Kelley added, but the chance to have evening performances and a covered arena during this calendar spot was too good to pass up.

Kelley credits the timing of the competition with adding 30-35 horses to their total of last May’s show. She also said enthusiasm pervaded the weekend, including in the form of sponsorships.

“We had really good sponsors this year — you could see the excitement of people for us to be there with this show,” said Kelly. One sponsor, Barbara Rother of River Run Farms in Scottsdale, took care of the extra sponsorship required to use the Equidome.

Other sponsors included TMA Photography / Laurie Taylor, Roberta Pollock, Lynn Phillips, Andrea Kidd Equine Appraisals, Michael Curtis & Mary Louise Weller, Stachowski Farms, Priceless Arabians, Becker Stables, Becky Downing, Megan LeFave and Beethe Arabians.

Another sponosor was Cavalia, producers of the Cavalia Odysseo performances being held in Irvine Feb. 3-28, who provided two premium seats to the winner of the Nancy Newman Ride for the Cure class. Mary Haus and KH Radio Flyer won the class, held this year for the benefit of young Arabian rider Ryan Melendez this year, who is battling leukemia. The class was started a few years ago in honor of one of the club’s longtime board members and volunteers, Nancy Newman, who had died from cancer.

Kelley said she already has received positive feedback on the weekend show, and she is eager to make this a new tradition on the Arabian and Half-Arabian show scene.

“It was huge to get the dates, and we are very grateful that we were able to fill in that spot that started out with the Whittier Lions show. The people were used to having that January show, and we’re really, really fortunate to have the opportunity.”

The competition was a qualifier for Region One, Pacific Slope and the U.S. and Canadian Youth and Sport Horse Nationals.