SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Mike Berg has liked Outta Dough, the 5-year-old stallion he began training in early 2007, since the moment he laid eyes on him at a 2006 NRHA Futurity Sale. It’s not just the big stops, it’s that little extra about him – the “X” factor.
“He’s one of those horses that just has a presence,” says Berg, 39, who along with wife Christy operate Berg Performance Horses in Temecula. “When he walks into the pen, he makes folks pay attention.”

The attention on Berg and Outta Dough rose markedly March 6 at the Cactus Reining Classic in Scottsdale, where they outdueled a world-class field of reiners and came away the big money-winners. With a 227 score, they captured the $30,000-added Open and $10,000-added Intermediate Open, sending them home with $15,669 in earnings.

TULARE – Even with an untimely rain, there were no blues felt Feb. 23-28 at the Second Annual National Stock Horse Association Classic.

But red felt just right.

With his lucky red shirt on his back and the red roan stallion, Smart Boons, under him, Corey Cushing of Scottsdale, Ariz. clinched another big aged event win – the NSHA Open Classic held at the Ag Center.

THERMAL — Melissa Doddridge delivered a one-two punch in the all-new $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby when she captured both the blue and red ribbons in the two-round classic that highlighted the competition during Desert Circuit II at the HITS Desert Horse Park, in Thermal.

The Tustin teen-ager and her horse, Bentley, got the best of 41 starters on course designer John Manning’s first-round course, then she beat the 12 that came back to compete in the handy phase.
She catapulted to the top of the class after receiving five bonus points for brilliance and handiness, and posted a total score of 91 in the second round.

“The handy course was so much fun,” said Doddridge. “The most challenging part was finishing with eight strides away from the in-gate. My horses thought they were done, but the hardest part was yet to come!”

POMONA — The nearly 50-year tradition of Southern California’s Arabian riders and horses starting the new year at Fairplex continued Jan. 29-31, except the “Whittier Lions Show” as it was known became the Sierra Empire Arabian Horse Association’s Annual Show.

After hosting the first, major Arabian show of the new season for the past 48 years, the Whittier Host Lions Club decided to stop running this show and focus on other activities.

TEMECULA – Like so many stories, it all began with a horse.

It was 1956, and a Whittier pediatrician sought the right horse to accompany his new venture, a 120-acre gentleman’s alfalfa farm in Indio. He did his homework and acquired a pair of Crabbet Arabian mares from none other than Herbert H. Reese, who ran the horse unit at Cal Poly Pomona at the time and who took the pediatrician, Dr. Harold West, under his wing and into the horse world.

“That’s how it started,” says Margaret Rich, Dr. West’s then-7-year-old daughter whose passion for horses hasn’t waned a bit at age 60.

PASADENA — For many equestrians, one of the highlights of New Year’s Day is watching the Tournament of Roses Parade–and the equestrian groups which take part in the world-famous parade seen by millions of people every year.

The Rose Parade is shown in more than 75 countries, and nearly 1 million spectators line the 5.5-mile parade route. Jon Montgomery, equestrian committee chairman of the Tournament of Roses Parade, shared some suggestions on how to improve your chances of getting into the parade.

For any equestrian group who has ever wanted to take part in the Rose Parade, here are tips to keep in mind.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Many Californians traveled to Oklahoma City for the National Reining Horse Association Futurity and North American Affiliate Finals held Nov. 26-Dec. 5 at State Fair Arena. One of the many riders who represented the Golden State well was Rebecca Murray, 18, of Burbank. For the past several years, the up-and-coming youth rider has consistently excelled at California Reining Horse Association and NRHA Affiliate competitions–and her peers say she has a bright future ahead.

Horses and Reining: No Looking Back
Murray started riding when she was 4 years old and horses have been the focus of her life since then. “It just happened–my older sisters quit riding and my mom asked if I wanted to start, and I said yes,” recalled Murray, whose riding progressed to competing in pleasure and all-around classes.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Before last February’s Equine Affaire in Pomona, trainer Robin Bond of Rancho Dos Palmas ranch in Vista heeded encouragement of her clients: enter the Extreme Cowboy event.

She did, and nine months after being bitten by the Extreme Cowboy bug, she found herself Nov. 15 just a point shy of being World Champion in the Professional Division of the first Extreme Cowboy Race World Championships.

“I thought I was going to win it, but I didn’t count my chickens,” said Bond, whose 389.25 final total on Jose’s Perfection trailed Lee Hart of Kansas (390.25) and Kelly LeBlanc of Illinois (389.5). “I was going up against the group of guys who I’d never seen ride before.”

RENO, Nev. — One could say Zane Davis and Reymanator terminated the competition at the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s Snaffle Bit Futurity with their 5.5-point margin of victory–652.5 composite score–to win the NRCHA’s premiere event in the Open division.

In true reined cow horse fashion, the 2009 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championship came down to the cow work. As a matter of fact, it came down to the very last run in the cow work. The in-arena action at the Reno Livestock Events Center brought the crowd to the edge of its seat Oct. 4 to conclude two weeks of competition from Sept. 20-Oct. 4.