The tradition continues! The 45th Annual Norco Horseweek is just around the corner, scheduled for April 17-26 in “Horsetown USA”/ This 10-day extravaganza of everything horses is conducted by an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that is dedicated to celebrating and maintaining Norco’s horse-centered, rural lifestyle. Once again, the group has put together an amazing line-up of family-oriented events, with something fun and exciting for everyone, including the Extreme Ranch Rodeo, Horseweek Parade, lawnmower races, Challenged Children’s Rodeo, bull riding, the food truck festival, chili cook-off, obstacle course and so much more! Visit www.NorcoHorseweek.com for a more info and full schedule of events!

The De Anza Trail Caballeros welcome “gentlemen on horseback,” for their 77th Annual De Anza Trail Ride, scheduled for April 12-18 from Calexico to Riverside. This men-only event commemorates and honors the historic achievement of Juan Bautista De Anza, who blazed the first overland trail from Mexico to the Northern California coast and who encouraged the development of the saddle horse for pleasure riding. Make your plans now, and contact Gary Etchandy at (951) 677-5291 to reserve your spot! See the ad on page 66, and visit www.DeAnzaRide.org for details.

The Roy Rogers Rangers Mounted Shooting Club and the Silver Dollar Ranch will be host a Beginner Mounted Shooting Clinic on March 21 at the Moreno Valley Equestrian Center. Bring your horse and a good attitude –- they’ll supply all of the other equipment! The clinic will be conducted by expert clinicians and champion mounted shooters Kenny Lawson and Cathy Hendrick. You’ll learn mounted shooting horsemanship, basic gun handling skills, conditioning your horse to gunfire, plus coaching and technique training. Give them a call at (760) 805-6061 to reserve your spot, and see the ad on page 75.

The Diamond I Ranch would like to welcome USDF Bronze and Silver medalist Rhiannon Yard and Equine Fuzion to its facility in Chino Hills. Specializing in natural horsemanship, fusing equestrian disciplines with confidence and a fun-filled atmosphere, Rhiannon is currently accepting new horses and riders for training and lessons. Diamond I Ranch is a beautiful, quiet and clean private ranch, offering top quality care and competitive boarding rates. The newly remodeled facility is a peaceful haven for horses and riders alike! Call Jen at (909) 952-5596 for boarding info, and you can reach Rhiannon at (714) 348-2170 for training and lesson info. See the ad on page 45.

The Spoiled Spur boutique, perhaps best known for its mobile boutique at horse shows, has opened a retail space in Rancho Vet Tack and Feed Supply in Hemet. Its newest clothing line, Brother & Arms USA, offers quality lifestyle clothing dedicated to the military, law enforcement, fire, EMS and patriot gun enthusiasts with a strong belief in the Second Amendment. The Spoiled Spur carries a great selection of clothing, purses, hats, jewelry and accessories, gifts, bath and body items, toys, home décor and furniture — and you’ll find something for every member of the family! Visit Sherie every day of the week except Wednesday when she’s open for busy trainers by appointment only. You’ll find such brands as Montana West, Original Cowgirl, Paparazzi, Cowgirls United by Pink, RBR, Heart Not Included and more! See their ad on page 30, for $5 off any purchase of $30 or more through January.

You can help support a worthy organization while doing your Christmas and holiday shopping! Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to Compton Junior Posse Youth Equestrian Program whenever you shop on Smile.Amazon.com. Compton Junior Posse, established in 1988, has been committed to keeping kids on horses and off the streets. It’s goal is to continue to provide a safe haven for at-risk youth, guiding both academic and career choices, and to develop an acceptance of socio-economic and cultural diversity. Learn more by checking out their ad on page 7, and visit www.ComptonJrPosse.org!

Each year, the team behind the Horse Expo Pomona updates its Expo event at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, and this year, some of the innovations will be the venue itself! A new entry gate for closer parking plus moving the main horse arena and practice arena closer to the Expo halls are just two of the great updates for the 2015 Expo Pomona, scheduled for Jan. 30-Feb. 1 at the Fairplex in Pomona. Horse Expo Pomona offers something for every horse enthusiast. Learn from renowned professionals such as Chris Cox, Craig Cameron, Jonathan Field, Kalley Krickeberg, Brandi Lyons, Larry Whitesell and many more! Popular returning attractions will be the California Classic, Young Rider Park, Breed Revelation, Trail Symposium, University, Ultimate Super Horse, and the Great American Truck Display.  More than 300 exhibits will offer the latest products and services from riding apparel, tack, nutrition, horse supplies and trailers to art, jewelry, equipment and items for your home and ranch.  For more info, call (800) 352-2411, or see the ad on page 20. For discounted tickets, schedules and a complete list of clinicians, go to or visit www.horseexpoevents.com.

How can you prevent a holiday shopping disaster? Shop at Big Horse Feed and Mercantile in Temecula for a great selection of gifts, feed, tack, apparel, horse equipment and more, and take advantage of “Ladies Night”! For one night only, from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, ladies can come, shop early, enjoy food and refreshments — all while you receiving 20 percent off on your Christmas shopping. Plus, sign up for the Big Horse Gift Registry and receive 15 percent off your purchase (limitations apply) on items listed on your gift registry or the registry of your loved ones and friends. Avoid a “gift-giving tragedy — be a hero and shop Big Horse… they’ll even gift wrap it for you! For more information, see the Big Horse ad on page 31, or call (951) 676-2544.

Kahoots Feed & Pet is celebrating its Norco Grand Opening on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be free food, live music, prizes, kid’s activities and samples of Kahoots premium exclusive brand foods. Norco store manager Matt Clark says, “Thank you for welcoming us into your community. Nothing makes us more proud than to bring our company to the wonderful city of Norco. When we started our company in 1987, our hopes were not only to offer premium quality products to pets and livestock of all types, but to be the leader in service for our customers. We strongly feel we will be able to bring this experience to Norco and are very excited to be a part of this growing community.” Kahoots offers a variety of quality products at affordable prices, including Kahoots exclusive brand feeds, pet foods and supplements. They also offer a variety of services, such as low-cost vaccination clinics, anesthesia-free pet teeth cleaning and pet adoptions. The friendly and knowledgeable staff looks forward to seeing you and serving Horsetown USA! You can reach the store at (951) 371-4000, and see the Kahoots ad on page 15.

Looking for a frightfully fun time? Don’t miss the Del Mar International Horse Show and Halloween Celebration, scheduled Oct. 15-26, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds! This amazing event features world-class show jumping, hunter and jumper championships, year-end finals and special Halloween festivities. Show highlights include the Villas at Rancho Valencia World Cup Grand Prix of Del Mar, the GGT Footing Grand Prix Series Finale, the Grand Prix Hunter Derby Final and much more. Sat., Oct. 25th will feature the Del Mar Halloween Costume Competition – watch as zombies, ghosts, witches, goblins and more vie to frighten and spook the judges. Plus, all of the videos from Horsetrader.com “Funniest Horse Video Contest” will be presented and