Go to FastAd#:

WCRHA wraps it up

- October 1st, 2019 - Show & Event News

Season-ender event at MEC brings out the best

Special to the Horsetrader


Cam Essick and owner-rider Britta Jacobson celebrate the Novice Horse L2 Championship at the WCRHA Year End Event in the Murieta Equestrian Center. (John O’Hara photo)

RANCHO MURIETA—And just like that, the year is over.

Well, the West Coast Reining Horse Association show year is over. From the first NRHA Affiiate Show in March at the Rolling Hills Equestrian Center through events in at Brookside Show Park to the late season contests at the Murieta Equestrian Center, exhibitors qualified for the Regional Affiliate Finals NRHA classes where they can then attempt to qualify for the Affiliate Finals classes at the NRHA Futurity.

But, WCRHA hosts its own “Best In The West” Year End finals show every year. Traditionally, it is held at the beautiful facilities of the Murieta Equestrian Center. Throughout the days of Aug. 23-25, reiners rode hard to get those final points for the fabulous year-end awards to be presented at the annual WCRHA Banquet in January. To make this show especially special, WCRHA and sponsors present over 70 championship and reserve championship buckles to class winners, as well as five championship saddles.

Megan Lindberg and her Custom Banjo captured Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro titles to go with a Non Pro Maturity L4 Co-championship. (John O’Hara photo)

This year, the WCRHA Board of Directors decided to add a little more drama to their Year End Derby saddle awards. Instead of awarding a saddle for the single Derby class at the Year End show, they made it a circuit award, requiring competitors to enter two of the three Derbies offered throughout the year. The horse-rider combination with the most points won the coveted championship saddles. The saddles for the Open Derby and Non Pro Derby Circuit champion were awarded to the winners after the respective derbies at this show.

Claiming the Open Derby Circuit saddle was Ollie Galligan showing Reddy Aim Shine On owned by Elizabeth Atkins. Also known as “Waylon,” this talented 7-year old gelding earned top points at the Star Spangled Slide and the WCRHA Year End show. Reddy Aim Shine On is by Shine On Line and out of a Reminic mare. Originally belonging to Gunny Mathison, “Waylon” won over $50,000 at the NRHA Futurity. Gunny showed him in a few more Derbies before being sold to Daniel Schloemer. He has a LTE of over $75,000.

“We’ve had him for a little bit over a year and turned him from this superstar Open horse to an Open and Green Reiner horse, which shows what a special mind he has,” said Galligan. “Not many horses of this caliber can do that ‘tone down’ for a Green reiner. I love getting into the mind of these horses that have been pushed a lot and trying to freshen up their minds again. This wonderful horse has made us proud this year! He will always have a special place in our hearts!”

Winner of the championship saddle for the Non Pro Derby Circuit was Cam Essick and her own Loveya. Loveya (Gunnatrashya x Love Em N Lena) is a 6-year old gelding, bred and raised by Cam in Clements.

“Loveya, although a plain bay in color, is quite an extraordinary show horse with earnings exceeding $125,000,” Essick said of the NRHA Open L4 Futurity and Derby Finalist. Loveya is part of a family of NRHA, NRCHA and NCHA Champion and high-selling horses, spanning four generations. In 2006, Essick rode his dam, Love Em N Lena (Smart Little Lena x Slide Me Again), with LTE of $114,000, in the WCRHA Non Pro Derby, winning the L2 and Reserve Champion in the L4 and L3 divisions.

Loveya has won eight saddles, numerous bronzes and buckles, and has enjoyed a home life where he can be social with his barn and pasture mates. Not the norm for a reining horse of his caliber, but it serves him very well. Loveya currently is the fourth highest money-earner sired by Gunnatrashya.

Most of Loveya’s training and basic foundation was by Erin Taormino, who primarily trains and shows cow horses.

More online: http://bit.ly/910_WCRHA

Leave a Comment

All fields must be filled in to leave a message.