JANUARY:

Steffen Peters won the hearts of East Coast fans, riding Rosamunde to a first-place finish in the FEI 3* Grand Prix with a 71.3 percent, and Legolas 92 to a 71.2 percent in the FEI 5* Grand Prix, respectively, At the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival. The top-ranked FEI rider also received the People’s Choice award for his riding skills and contributions to dressage.
Also shining brightly in the Sunshine State was Kathleen Raine of Murrieta, who rode the lovely mare Breanna to a 73.667 and a title in the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI 5*.

FEBRUARY:

Will Simpson launched the most successful grand prix HITS campaign ever, winning six different events in the early weeks. A standout victory came aboard Katie Riddle, and it was a birthday present for Jami Heidegger, whose family owns Monarch International — for whom Simpson rides.
In Burbank, at the much-anticipated inaugural West Coast qualifying competition for the 2015 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final, Peters and Legolas 92 marked an 80.825 — their best. It came at California Dreaming Productions’ Mid-Winter Dressage Fair CDI-W/Y/J/U-25 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.in their popular U-2-themed Grand Prix Freestyle.

TULSA, Okla. — If there is a place that tests hopes and dreams, it’s the U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian National Championship Show. Competition is keen, and it can separate owners and riders from best-laid expectations. It also can confirm hunches, like those of several California exhibitors who returned home from the Oct. 23-31 event at the Tulsa Expo Square with National Championships.

One of them was Shannon Chudzicki, an amateur from Norco who earned her first U.S. National title in a performance class, riding her Arsenal BV to the Purebred Hunter Pleasure AOTR Maturity Championship.

“It was a very exciting moment,” said Chudzicki, who has the 4-year-old gelding in training with Cynthia Burkman. “He’s turned out to be an amazing horse — he’s progressed a lot because of all the training that’s gone into him.”

BURBANK — And when it reins, man it pours.
Six Days, 86 classes, fantastic prizes, high-stepping parties, costumes, contests and family fun — there was something for everyone at the 22nd Annual Challenge Horse Show presented by the California Reining Horse Association Oct. 19-25 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Home to the Southwest Regional National Reining Horse Association Affiliate Finals, the Challenge Show also hosted futurities, derbies, a ” No Wimpy Cowboys” NRHA Non Pro Maturity, the CRHA Reiner of the Year Finals, the Gatolotto Memorial, USA Junior and Young Rider qualifiers, plus a full slate of rookie, green-as-grass and youth classes. The event drew top reiners from California, Arizona and the Southwest, some traveling from as far Illinois and Montana. The Challenge offered a sweep of fantastic prizes including seven trophy saddles, a horse trailer sponsored by All American Trailers, silver buckles to winners and reserve, and a myriad of Bronze Trophies including the John Varble and Top Dun memorial Award, the Rebecca Goss Boo-Yaah, Kaweah Nic and Topsail Cody Memorials. With the level of competition high, and the stakes huge, more than 300 horses competed for payouts of over $90.000.

TEMECULA — Phillip Dutton has been in this position many times—last to go with not a rail in hand. He’d already jumped a clear round on the young Mr. Candyman, who could then finish no lower than fourth in the headline CCI3* division, at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event on Oct. 28-Nov. 1.

After an unanticipated clattering through a warm-up fence, Dutton, of Pennsylvania, set his trademark Secret Service expression and galloped overnight leader Fernhill Fugitive into the arena and around Marc Donovan’s 560-meter track. The 15-obstacle course had just seen Lauren Kieffer (Middleburg, Va.) and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett take an unlucky rail at the wine bottle vertical before the last triple combination, dropping them one place to third (49.8).

As Fernhill Fugitive cleared the final oxer of the triple combination to finish with 43.4 penalties, the spectators lining the arena erupted in cheers and were treated to a rare display of Dutton emotion as he cracked a huge grin, enthusiastically patted “Jack,” and high-fived with head groom Emma Ford. Afterward, he summed up his thoughts about his Pan Am Games gold-medal partner, who had top-10 finishes at Rolex Kentucky and the Pan Am Games this year. “I couldn’t be any more proud of the horse—he’s just had a great year. Every year he just seems to get better and better. I am so excited for him and for [owners] Annie Jones and Tom Tierney, who have been very patient with him.” He continued, “He’s been a great horse, it’s been an incredible year for him. I wasn’t that confident going in because I don’t usually get too many clear rounds with him, but he did enough today. I’m really proud of him.”

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — With 39 entries and 11 clean, the final qualifier of the Markel Insurance 1.40m Grand Prix Series kept everyone on the edge of their seats and saddles, as top contenders raced to be the fastest, and, of course, clean. Four riders each had two horses in the jump-off, Brazilian Eduardo Menezes, Australian Lane Clarke, Brazilian Josephina Nor Lantzman and Enrique Gonzalez of Mexico, followed by last week’s winner, American Susan Hutchison aboard Ziedento.

With several speed demons aiming for the top prize, it was Clarke piloting MH Wardance, owned by MH Warbucks, who took the quickest route without a fault. Demonstrating true warrior mentality, “Brave,” as Clarke calls the horse, performed this feat even after pulling a shoe partway through the jump-off round.

Clarke was fully aware that the competition was going to put the pressure on.

“I knew it was going to be really fast from the beginning,” he said. “Eduardo on Carushka was extremely fast, my mare Semira is extremely fast, so I knew I was going to have to go really fast on Brave. I really wanted to win the last Grand Prix [of the season], it’s home and I love it here.”

JIMMY FLORES, JR.:

He would very much like to be remembered, first, as a good horseman. Yes, he knew equipment and all, but he was a very, very knowledgeable horseman — and that’s what he really strived for. Not just a trainer, but beyond that. We have trainers today, but I’m not sure if we still have many horsemen in the world.

MARK MATSON:

“He was one of the pillars of the community He actually got a lot of cow horse following in Europe because he was one of the first guys to get over there and show off the reined cow horse.

I remember when we started the Southern California club and would have benefit auctions. I was always amazed by his generosity. He’d show up with hackamores and all kinds of great things. What a generous, giving man who was really behind that sport. And I don’t think he ever missed a show, whether it was big or small. I saw him travel all the way to Texas, sleeping in his truck with his trailer full of stuff that he sold. He’d set up his booth, tear it down afterward, then drive all the way home by himself — and that was when he was in his late 70s. It definitely will not be the same without him. He inspired a lot of folks, and he was great to sit down and talk to.

If you own horses, you need to be aware of some problems that arise when you have too much rain in a short period of time.

Wet pastures are ruined by horses’ hooves, so it is very possible that you will have more weeds than grass when the rain stops. If you have an overcrowded field, your pastures will probably be ruined, and you may need to feed your horses hay year-round. Also, without the competition of lush grass, you may end up with some poisonous plants in your pasture, and since horses are browsers, when they don’t have a lot of grass to eat they may start eating those plants.

Horses that like to “horse around” can run, slip, and risk bowing a tendon, popping a splint, or even falling down and hurting themselves. Of course, these injuries can occur at any time, but when the ground is slippery, the chances for these injuries increase. Slippery slopes and horses, especially young and rambunctious horses, are never a good combination.

Here are some tips to help keep your horses safe during rainy springs and other rainy periods:

PASO ROBLES — Entries, purses and prizes all increased at this year’s National Stock Horse Association Futurity, and one rider in particular seemed to be in a zone. The Zane Zone.

Idaho-based Zane Davis, who had his breakthrough year in 2009 when he won the NSHA Futurity Open on Reymanator (Dual Rey x Savannah Hickory), did it again this year aboard Michelle Cannon’s Shiney Outlaw (Shiners Nickle x Mereyda), topping a long list of quality 3-year-olds to earn $15,900.

Davis also brought west Reymanator, who thrilled the Paso Robles Events Center crowd in winning the 2015 World’s Richest Stock Horse competition, sponsored by Hearst Ranch Winery, to become the first NSHA Triple Crown Champion — winner of its Futurity, Derby and World’s Richest events.

DEL MAR — After hosting a full schedule of hunter and jumper divisions, including two grand prix classes, the Showpark Summer Classic wrapped up a well-established equitation event Aug. 16 with three sections of second rounds and work-offs in the California Professional Horsemen’s Association Foundation Equitation Championship Finals. Divided into 22-over, 14-under and 21-under age divisions, riders faced challenging courses with work-offs built in, part of the Foundation format. The honorable Alex Jayne and Frank Willard scored, tested and ultimately awarded the final placings.

Round 1 tests included a counter-canter to fence 3 and walking fence 12 plus some tight turn options. After 27 entries competed in Round 1, the top prize for the round went to Stephanie Goodson aboard Poetic, who earned a first round average of 86.5. Second went to Renee Rodda riding Notable with an average of 85.5, and third to Katie Cramer on SS Brando with an average of 84.75. Only 6.5 points separated the top eight, with fourth through eighth awarded to Kathy Nolan, Tonya Johnston, Belle Calkin, Laura Owens and Virginia Fout, respectively.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Folks have been expecting Nathalie Manning to record her first grand prix victory for some time, perhaps none longer than Nathalie herself.

At age 2 (“before I was walking”, she says), her legendary horseman grandfather, Morton “Cappy” Smith, would lead her around his Middleburg, Va., farm. By age 7, she was riding almost any horse on the property, and as an 8-year-old, she conceived her future barn name: Acorn Farm, “where every little acorn turns into a great oak.”

“My grandfather would put me on just about anything,” she smiles. “He had a lot of sale horses, and I was fearless.”