Entries are up and the crop of 3-year-olds is immensely talented for the 2012 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno this month, but the biggest buzz among spectators may be the innovations in this year’s World Championship Show. NRCHA Board Member and Marketing Chair Jim Vangelos is particularly excited about the Finals moving from the traditional Sunday to Saturday night, Sept. 29, which is expected to raise the roof ever further on an event that already ranked as perhaps the most exciting in horse sports. After the final go and judges have determined the winner of the $100,000 first-place Open Futurity prize, the Reno Livestock Events Center arena will transform into a celebration of another great Futurity year. Also, for the first time Clinton Anderson will conduct a clinic at the NRCHA event on Friday, Sept. 28, in the outdoor rodeo arena, and there will be a Jumbotron for spectators’ enjoyment, showing interviews with top trainers and non-pros throughout the competition. Of course, traditional favorite components of the 10-day show will stay intact, including a “Best of the West” trade show, the Hall of Fame Dinner and Auction on Thursday, Sept. Sept. 27th, and a wine-tasting hosted by the NRCHA during the Finals on Sept. 28 and 29 — with special NRCHA wine from Alan Needles of Tucalota Creek Winery in Temecula. Vangelos says the NRCHA Board is honored to bring along these exciting changes, and he welcomes feedback. For more info, see the ad on page 21.

When one of the nation’s biggest stores holds its biggest Western sale of the year, you can bet the savings are big, too! Broken Horn’s Fifth Annual All Western Sale hits its aisles Sept. 15-16, and there will be lots of great specials, awesome savings and discounts on horse products and supplies, apparel and Western tack. There will also be hourly drawings for great prizes, along with four Grand Prize Saddle drawings held on Sunday at 4 p.m. You must dress Western to enter the drawings for super prizes like a pair of Wrangler jeans, Western boots, a Western shirt or a cowboy hat. Since 1956, Broken Horn has been the West’s largest tack store and a premier manufacturer of quality tack, custom saddles, year-end awards, tack repair and so much more! Sale hours will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. See the ad on pages 50-51, or call (626) 337-4266 for more info!

Futurity season is here – and the California Horsetrader is right in the middle of it! Come with us to the 2012 National Stock Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity, scheduled for Aug. 13-19 at the Paso Robles Event Center. Deadline for this popular annual NSHA Futurity Program Issue is Monday, Aug. 6th!

Hobby Horse Clothing Company is currently looking for horse-and-rider teams to star in their 2013 catalog as Hobby Horse models! If you’re a show girl with a show horse, check out Hobby Horse’s current display ad on page 37 for model search guidelines and more info. Photos and contact info must be submitted by Sept. 1st, so don’t wait too long! Good luck, we hope you’re a Hobby Horse Model Search winner!

The Valley Cow Horse Association will hold its VCHA Futurity July 27-28, along with an NRCHA Horse Show on July 29, both located at Sundance Cattle Co. Feedlot in Bakersfield. With four year-end award saddles to the first-place qualified riders in VCHA Youth Limited, VCHA Non Pro Bridle, VCHA 5K Non Pro Limited and VCHA Novice Non Pro (Green Class) it’s time to recruit your youths and non pros — those saddles are yours for the winning! VCHA is a local organization dedicated to promoting the growth and friendly spirit of competition in the sport of reined cow horses. VCHA promotes both youth classes and beginning cow horse classes in an effort to get the whole community involved. Clinics, as well as shows offer a chance to watch live cow horse action. VCHA shows also features the best of the best in the cow horse industry! Formore information, contact the show secretary at (559) 689-3535 and see the ad on page 74!

Top reiners at all levels are gearing up for the 2012 Reining By The Bay, which will bring the Horse Park at Woodside to life July 18-22. The Brumley Management Group has another stellar five days planned for exhibitors, owners and the talented horses, plus dog costume contests to benefit the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA. California Horsetrader is a proud sponsor of this show, and you can come with us in our July 19 issue. Deadline is Monday, July 9. For more info on the show, contact Reining By The Bay at (602)677-3774, and see the ad on page 23.

The horse-human relationship started as a prey-predator dynamic, and in the past 6,000 years since first domesticating horses, we have created more than 200 breeds — from the powerful Clydesdale to the graceful Arabian. As we have shaped horses to suit our needs on battlefields, farms and elsewhere, these animals have shaped human history. Come investigate the extraordinary qualities that have made horses so important and useful to humans at the San Diego Natural History Museum starting this month – June 1. View astonishing artifacts that highlight the horse’s role in cultures worldwide, including a bronze figurine depicting China’s legendary celestial horse from the Han dynasty, which is dated as early as 2nd-century BCE to 2nd-century AD. This West Coast premiere of The Horse, offers fascinating stories as well as science behind these legendary, exceptional, and captivating animals. The comprehensive exhibit will remain on view through Jan. 20, 2013, exploring early horse-human interactions and showing how horses have, over time, influenced civilization — including major changes in warfare, trade, transportation, agriculture, sports, and many other facets of human life. The exhibition, which has never before been seen on the West Coast, is included with general Museum admission. Visitors entering the exhibition are immediately captivated by a high-definition video projection of a beautiful thoroughbred horse moving across a giant screen. A large-scale video and computer interactive allows visitors to peek inside a life-size, moving horse to learn about its anatomy and biology. The Horse offers numerous activities that invite visitors to measure their strength in horsepower, manipulate a mechanical horse’s leg to make the knee lock and unlock, discover characteristics of many different breeds of horses, and look inside a horse with computer kiosks and a life-size, interactive video screen. Also opening June 1, in conjunction with The Horse, is Vavra’s Vision: The Equine Images of photographer Robert Vavra. To learn more about these great exhibits, visit: www.sdnhm.org, and see the ad on page 15.

Just in time to kick off summer, the Western States Horse Expo returns to Cal Expo in Sacramento June 8-10 with a star-studded line-up of clinicians, trade show vendors and activities. Chris Cox heads the list of presenters, which also includes Horsetrader “Dear Dana” columnist Dana Hokana, Lynn Palm, and Eitan Beth-Halachmy. Back this year is the Magnificent 7 Stock Horse Championship, plus a “Breed Walk”, the Trail Symposium, the Book Corral and “Project Cowgirls!” Be sure to stop by the California Horsetrader booth to take advantage of our ad specials…and also to meet students of the UC Davis Horse Barn, sponsored by California Horsetrader. For more info on the Expo, see their ad on page 15.

The legendary Mule Days Celebration in Bishop is coming soon — Memorial Day weekend, May 22-27. More than 700 mules will compete in 181 events at the Tri-County Fairgrounds in this fun, family-oriented event that is part mule show, part Wild West show, and part a test of skills. Highlights of the international world-class event include the return of the historic 20-Mule Team, the longest running non-motorized parade, a Uncle Kracker live concert, the Packer’s Scramble, an arts and crafts show, barbeques, dances, and much more! For a schedule of events, to learn more or for tickets, please contact the Mule Days staff at (760) 872-4263, and se the ad on page 21.

Don’t miss the 2012 Fiesta Charity Spectacular! Presented by the Fiesta of the Spanish Horse, this amazing event is dedicated to raising awareness and much-needed funding for cancer research. To be held Saturday, May 5 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, it will feature an enchanting multi-cultural “Broadway-style” equestrian and musical spectacular – highlighted by latin and mariachi music, along with flamenco and folkloric dancing. The evening will also include a wonderful variety of celebrities (including USC Mascot, “Traveler”!), vendors, foods, a silent auction, raffles, and a raffle for a Yamaha golf cart. Fiesta raises funds for the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Also, the Fiesta Charity Horse Show will once again have horses competing during the day, from Wednesday, May 2, to Sunday, May 6, and will be free to the public. To purchase your tickets for the exciting, fun and meaningful Saturday night event, call (818) 842-8444, and be sure to see their ad on page 11.

The Valley Cow Horse Association will have its Hackamore Showdown April 27-28 along with an National Reined Cow Horse Association Show on April 29 at Sundance Cattle Co. Feedlot in Bakersfield. With FOUR year-end award saddles to the first-place qualified riders in VCHA Youth Limited, VCHA Non Pro Bridle, VCHA 5K Non Pro Limited, and VCHA Novice Non Pro (Green Class) up for grabs, this is the time to recruit your youths and non-pros. – those saddles are yours for the winning! VCHA is a local organization dedicated to promoting the growth and friendly spirit of competition in the sport of reined cow horses. VCHA promotes both youth classes and beginning cow horse classes in an effort to get the whole community involved. Clinics as well as shows offer a chance to watch live cow horse action. VCHA shows also features the best of the best in the cow horse industry! Check out the rest of VCHA’s 2012 show dates at www.cowhorse.org, or call the show secretary at (559) 689-3535. Don’t miss the VCHA ad on page 107.