CRHA Summertime Slide enlivens Midstate Fairgrounds

PASO ROBLES — There were familiar faces and familiar horses at the 2021 California Reining Horse Association Summertime Slide, but one new item this year that had everyone’s attention was the venue itself — the iconic Midstate Fairgrounds. Steeped in history and Western heritage, the Central Coast town hosted a CRHA reining for the first time.

The four-day event, held Aug. 27-28, was the association’s last competition before its big year-end Challenge show Oct. 26-31 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

One of the Summertime Slide’s top performers was rider Emma Dillon who took home titles in a variety of Rookie Division classes aboard Pam Berhards’s WheresMyParkingSpots. Her 70.50 score edged Christine Bentley on Rio Killer Gun by a half-point to take the 11-entry NRHA Rookie Level 1 class and also the 12-entry CRHA Rookie Level 2 class, respectively. The UC Davis freshman on the Aggies 21-22 equestrian team is the defending CRHA Rookie L1 Champion.

Other Non Pros who shined at the September Slide were Linda Hardy on her Whizkey Chaser, winners of the Limited Non Pro and Primetime Non Pro classes, and Anne Henry aboard Custom Tag Chex, champions in the CRHA Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro events. Henry also finished a point behind in reserve in the CRHA Limited Non Pro behind co-champions Linda Hardy on Whizkey Chaser and Casey Hardy on her Gunna Check Ya Out.

In the Non Pro CRHA Novice Horse class, Suzanne Farris picked up a check with a 70 score aboard her Lil Joe Jewel, topping reserve Kaily King Hale by a point riding Joline Pebley’s Glorified Gun.

Makynna Barger on All Natural Shine and Peyton McGowan on Smith N Whizzen were stars in the 13-under and 14-18 Youth commpetition, respectively. Barger and All Natural Shine also competed in the 13-entry NRHA Green Reiner Level 1 class, where she took reserve by a half-point behind Sherry Wood on Arc Dunitwhizyou, and in the 14-entry NRHA Green Reiner Level 2 class, where she took third by one point behind champion Henry on Custom Tag Chex (71.5). Wood was the reserve in that class on Arc Dunitwhizyou (71).

In Open classes, Jimmy Nichols finished 1-2 in NRHA Novice Horse Open, taking Dreamin N Hollywood to first with a 70.5 and This Spook Aint Ruf to reserve with a 70. Both horses are owned by Nichols along with Nancy Wheeler. Tom Foran rode William Shatner’s SNS Chic to the CRHA Novice Horse Open class title with a 71.

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