HUNTINGTON BEACH — Hunters, jumpers and the casual environs of the Huntington Beach Central Park Equestrian Center made for a special — if not low-key — holiday weekend July 1-4 at the Huntington Beach Surf Classic, managed by West Palm Events.

The headliners were Lane Clarke, who rode MH War Dance to victory in the $25,000 GGT Footing Grand Prix, and Jamie Taylor, who took Caroline Eliades’s Jager to the $2,500 Grand Prix Hunter Derby title.

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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Back in the saddle after being sidelined with a winter leg injury at HITS Thermal, Susie Hutchison was on fire a the Blenheim June Classic II, winning two major events in a single day.

You could call June 14 “Susie Sunday” after the Temecula-based star rode to wins in both the afternoon $30,000 June Classic Grand Prix and the $7,500 CashCall Mortgage Futurity earlier in the day. She rode St. Bride Farm’s Ziedento to the grand prix win over Francie Steinwedell-Carvin aboard Lapsus du Lavoir, and she took 8-year-old SIG Firecracker to the futurity title.

From the hilltop VIP tent to the grassy knoll, there was a sizable crowd soaking up the Southern California sun while watching show jumping at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park at San Juan Capistrano. Mexican course designer Javier Fernandez designed the track, with standout challenges in the first round, including a short turn to the Michael & Kenzie vertical line in five strides to the open water jump and an oxer-vertical-oxer triple combination going away from the in-gate towards the end.

Connie Amelang
Alam Realty
Inland Empire and High Desert
760.792.6477
We are in a “healthy” real estate market where the prices are trending upward steadily but not at a high rate. We are expecting single digit appreciation in California for 2015 and that is fine. Over-inflation causes problems of its own. Buyers are buying, and with the help of their agent, are doing their research on prices of the properties they are viewing. If a property is priced right (in line with comparables), the sellers are many times getting full price offers. If the property is over-priced we are seeing few showings and few, if any, offers. CalBRE #00896631

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — It was a Sunday showcase of talent in Southern California. The Blenheim EquiSports June Classic I show culminated with the $30,000 Blenheim Grand Prix, presented by FarmVet, the $10,000 1.45m CardFlex Jumper Classic and the final Zone 10 North American Young Rider Trials.

With a talented field of riders, including Thursday’s Markel Insurance Grand Prix winner Nayel Nassar with two horses, veteran Susan Hutchison also with two mounts, Josephina Nor Lantzman, Michael Endicott, Harley Brown and more, the Grand Prix had eighteen quality horse and rider combinations performing for a sizable group of spectators enjoying the beautiful Southern California afternoon. Course designer Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Germany ensured a display of scope and skill from riders with a twisting track of 16 elements in a time allowed of 90 seconds.

BAKERSFIELD — When the California Cow Horse Association puts on a show, you can count on competition.

The Central Valley is the cradle of reined cow horse, the root of the National Reined Cow Horse Association, so when the local club competes, there’s a round-up of all-stars.

“You know, even just for our weekend shows down there in Bakersfield, we get the ‘big dogs’ because there are so many in this area,” says CCHA Board Member Lance Johnston, himself one of those big dogs. “Doug Williamson, Jake Gorrell, John Ward, Jon Roeser and Teddy (Robinson) comes over the hill with Tucker and Tina, and Ron Emmons comes down.

“You would think that our club would put on a nice little weekend show, where we go, have a little fun, and back the horses off a bit,” added Johnston. “But you really don’t get to do that if you want to place at all, or win. You still got to run pretty hard and compete. There are no freebies down there in Bakersfield.”

DEL MAR — Fan favorites and famously talented duo Flexible and Rich Fellers thrilled a crowd of spectators, taking the victory in the highlight event of the week, the $60,000 Grand Prix of California, presented by Equ Lifestyle Boutique at Showpark open May 9.

Back for the third time as master builder for the Ranch & Coast Classic, Texan course designer Oscar Soberon is quite familiar with the challenges of building for this class. After Thursday’s tight and technical Markel Insurance Grand Prix track, Soberon planned today’s course with less technical emphasis.

The 16-element course with a time allowed of 84 seconds presented plenty of tests for the experienced field. “It’s a $60,000 class, so it’s tougher than Thursday because of the height, but it’s not as tricky. I do think there are questions everywhere; from fence one, which is a wall, to a lot of fences with solid rails, which are always difficult to jump,” he explained. “The combination of white and black rails is also tough. I hope we get to see between four and six clear.”

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — The Spring Series in San Juan Capistrano at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park was a full four weeks this year. Offering classes for young horses and young riders as well as Hunter Derbies and Grand Prix events, there was an abundance of winners during the circuit. Highlighted below are four female champions, three amateurs and one professional, who not only enjoyed the experience but brought home some top prizes.

Estelle Navet and Revann de Lojou
Blenheim Spring was a comfortable and rewarding venue for the young and elegant Estelle Navet. Trained by her father, international show jumping champion Eric Navet, the two have formed an undeniably successful partnership. Her victory in the Modified Junior-Amateur Jumper Classic was particularly sweet with her family in attendance. Estelle credits both parents and her sister for valuable help and support.

Blackjack Farm
Vista
760-310-5717 * BlackjackFarm.net
“The Compound,” as they like to call it, is the ongoing dream of Robin and Dionicio Martinez.  Their desire was to create and maintain a place that would suit two of their passions: horses and fitness.  After starting from scratch three years ago, they’ve been able to build a place that is perfect for people to reach both their riding goals and their fitness goals.  There has been a cross-over, as horse people work out, and fitness people have started to take riding lessons.  It’s a great combination,and the vide is grounded, serene, supportive, friendly and fun! Whether you are a horse person looking for that hard-to-find facility that provides high-end care for your horse and access to professional trainers without requiring that you be in full-training, or are a person looking for a fitness facility that’s as far from the typical gym setting that you can get, this is the place.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat was a happy man when claiming the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2015 title at the Thomas & mack arena April 18.

I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment!,” said the 32-year-old Olympic champion whose last-to-go ride was an absolute thriller.

He came into the drama-filled final competition sharing the lead with Rich Fellwers of Oregon, but it was French rider Penelope Leprevost who lined up second at the end of the day, while 19-year-old Irish talent Bertram Allen finished third.

Fellers and Flexible finished a very respectable seventh, one of three Americans who broke into the Top 10. New Yorker Beezie Madden ended up fourth, and another West Coast rider, Lucy Davis of Los Angeles riding Barron, was ninth.

TEMECULA — Tivoli and James Alliston jumped brilliantly and faultlessly around the cross-country course to win the CIC3* at the Galway Downs International Horse Trials, finishing on their dressage score of 49.5.

Alliston and Tivoli took over the lead with a faultless show jumping round on Friday, and their fast cross-country round on Saturday kept them comfortably ahead of John Michael Durr on Esprit De La Danse (52.4) and Jolie Wentworth on GoodKnight (53.6).

Tivoli and Alliston won the Galway Downs CIC3* in March 2012, and that November they followed up that victory with another one in the Galway Downs CCI3*. But then foot problems and a dispute about his ownership kept Tivoli out of action for more than a year. Tivoli, 15, has since had surgery to remove a chip in his hoof, and Alliston is now his sole owner.

“He’s won a lot over the years, but I think I forgot what it felt like to win a big event like this,” said Alliston, of San Ramon. “It’s great fun to ride him around a big course - he’s so scopey. He makes big jumps feel not big, which is a very nice feeling. When they’re near the edge of what they can do, it’s a big deal if you make a mistake at a jump.”