From Horsetrader staff reports
THERMAL — This one was NOT easy!
There was the pandemic. The lock-down. The changing of venues. Then, once a season was seemingly wrapped up and the California Reining Horse Association Reiner of the Year seemed ready to present, there was — a tie?
In a duel of two outstanding reiners and their horses, Carolyn Tachovsky of Laguna Beach outpointed Kelley Cooper of Temecula by a slim point to claim the title, 71 to 70.
The competition was a highlight of the season-concluding CRHA Challenge Show, held Oct. 20-25 at Desert Horse Park in Thermal. The traditional venue, the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, was suspended from hosting events as a public health measure because of COVID-19 concerns.
“The pandemic has played out differently for everyone,” said Carolyn, who rode her 8-year-old gelding, Diamonds In My Dreams (a.k.a. “Hook”), to the win. “For me, it was a challenging year with our business, all the uncertainties and event cancellations. But, it has reinforced what is important to me and what truly brings joy to my life. One of those joys is riding, and in particular reining and competing. Though so many equestrian events were cancelled, I knew I could always find a way to ride my horses during 2020.”
Her perseverance paid off. Carolyn, who has been reining 18 years, trains with Ashley Kelkenberg Performance Horses in Scottsdale. She commits to a routine of practicing at home on her horses and driving to Arizona at least monthly to practice and work with Kelkenberg and Hook. She acquired the horse early last year, but she’s had her eye on him for some time.
“I knew he was my dream horse from the first time I met and rode him in 2016!,” says Carolyn, who has competed in CRHA for five years. Her beautiful CRHA Reiner of the Year awards included a Sterling Custom reining saddle and the Reiner of the Year buckle.
In 2021, she plans to continue showing Hook, and practicing on my her other horse, Pepto. She sees both CRHA and AZRHA events “as well as some other challenging shows” with some NRHA Maturities in the mix.
“I realize we may have some uncertainties again with our show schedules,” she says. “I will be grateful for what is available — and as always, for all the people and associations that make all of this possible. My trainer Ashley, her crew Kelly, Lizzy and Mario who take amazing care of Hook, all my past trainers, who I take a little with me every time I walk into a pen on the back of a horse.”
The 2020 CRHA Reiner of the Year Program, for Non Pros only, required CRHA members to have competed in at least half the CRHA Jackpots prior to the Challenge Show.
Leave a Comment
All fields must be filled in to leave a message.