The 2011 Equine Festival of Apple Valley will be held Sat. Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Horseman’s Center. Offering free admission, the event is one where you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about horses and the equestrian lifestyle. This marks the fourth annual Apple Equine Festival, led by members of the Apple Valley Equestrian Advisory Committee who are working to gather all things equine! No horse? No problem! This is a one-of-a-kind event in the High Desert for everyone who enjoys the Western way of life. Kids can play in the bounce house, adults can shop for Western gear and décor, and the whole family can enjoy an assortment of demonstrations and seminars. Following in the “hoof-steps” of established events such as the Equine Affaire in Pomona, the Equine Festival looks to create a one-stop shop with vendors on hand selling trailers, tack and other items of interest to horse owners, or those who admire or are interested in getting into the equestrian lifestyle. Call (760) 240-7000 to learn more! See the ad on page 29.

Calling all Non-pros! The Southern California Reined Cow Horse Association wants you to save the date of Nov. 18-19 for the Triple Crown 2011! The competition will be held at Casner Ranch in Temecula, and will feature Snaffle Bit, Derby, Bridle, Youth and Limited divisions. With $10,000 in added money and buckles to champion and reserve champions in all divisions, you won’t want to miss this exciting event! Call Laura at (951) 551-9505 and see the ad on page 25 for further details.

It’s that time of year again – Broken Horn Saddlery’s Fourth Annual All Western Sale! Held two days only, Sept. 17-18, from Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The legendary Baldwin Park store is a destination any time of year, but the annual Western Sale is simply a “don’t miss” event. And it’s not just the great specials on Broken Horn’s inventory of horse products, supplies, apparel and Western tack – there also will be hourly and grand prize drawings, including drawings for boots, hats, jeans, shirts, reins, bridles, halters and more! One thing: You MUST dress Western to enter the drawings – for instance, wear your 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! See the ad on pages 48-49, and call (626) 337-4266 to learn more about the sale!

All of Norco would like to welcome everyone to Horsetown USA as it celebrates both the 27th Annual Norco Mounted Posse PRCA Rodeo and the 2011 Norco Fair! Held Aug. 26-28 at the George Ingalls Equestrian Center, the rodeo will feature bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing, mutton bustin’, along with great food, music and dancing! Call (951) 371-1204, visit their website, www.norcoprcarodeo.com or stop by some of your local Norco businesses to get your Rodeo tickets now! And don’t miss the Norco Fair, coming to Ingalls Park on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1-5. With even more vendors, more rides, it’ll be even more fun for you and your family! Check out the new Fair hours and schedule at www.norcofair.org. And don’t forget to stop by all of your local Norco stores & businesses to take advantage of great Rodeo and Fair specials! Be sure the check out our ad index on page 102 for the list of Norco stores!

Join Professional’s Choice on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 12-13, for their huge Parking Lot Sale and Customer Appreciation Day! Plus, you’ll be able to take a tour of the factory and see how your favorite equine products are made! With more than $3 million dollars in inventory and incredible discounts on selected items, this special event is one you just don’t want to miss. SMx Air Ride technology saddle pads will be 50% off on selected sizes, and selected bits will be up to 75% off. Many more popular products are on clearance, and you’ll have a chance to win door prizes! To learn more and to get directions, please call toll free (800) 331-9421, and be sure to look for the special insert in this issue of the Horsetrader.

Normally, Susie Hutchison is in the news when she wins a grand prix jumping event, but it’s also news when the prominent trainer relocates, which she recently did. The Susan Hutchison Stables operation has moved to Casner Ranch, located at 34520 De Portola Road in Temecula. Casner Ranch is a 40-acre spread of manicured property that includes a covered arena and private jumping arena. Hutchison, one of the nation’s most renowned horse show jumping riders, operates a full service horse training facility with a competitive show schedule and services available to both horse and rider. Select horses for sale are also available. To learn more, please visit www.susanhutchisonstable.com.

Need some practice for the upcoming futurity season? Fairlea Ranch in Exeter will be offering futurity practice sessions the weekend of Aug. 6-7. Saturday will feature cutting, and Sunday will be used for reining and cow work.  Because of a limited number of stalls and slots, the Fairlea Ranch folks urge you to call and make your reservation now! (559) 594-5400, See the ad on page 80.

Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center welcomes renowned trainer and clinician Don Stewart for an educational clinic on Tuesday-Wednesday, Aug. 9-10. Stewart is a two-time Chronicle Hunter Horseman of the Year, chairman of the USHJA Junior Hunter Task Force, and top trainer to many champion riders and horses as well as a highly regarded judge. Clinic riders will receive four hours of instruction in groups of six to eight horses, and stabling is available. Organizers are suggesting that applications be submitted early because of high demand. For more info, call (714) 848-6565, and se the ad on page 81.

Join Hidden Hills Equestrian Ranch on Saturday, July 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for its Grand Opening Celebration! This full service boarding and training facility in Bonsall now offers a variety of boarding options, including a beautiful, new showcase barn. There is a large pleasure arena with lights, two 60-foot round pens, tack sheds, turn-outs, wash racks, groomed and chipped trail endurance conditioning course…and much more! Hidden Hills even has mare breeding and foaling facilities, stallion standing and a breeding center. Come enjoy lunch, refreshments and special presentations — and help welcome Laura Cronk Equine Management to Hidden Hills. To RSVP and to learn more, call (760) 468-3691. See the ad on page 34.

Tierra Del Norte Arabian Horse Association will host its Second Annual Lou Roper Clinic on Sunday, July 31, from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. at the Roper Ranch in San Marcos. Come and enjoy the magic of Lou in beautiful Twin Oaks! This is an “audit-only class”, and your $30 fee includes breakfast and lunch. Lou will cover beginning to bridle-less training. Find out his training techniques toward becoming the ultimate horseman. If you’re interested in having a particular topic covered, please submit questions via email to theworksi@aol.com before July 29. To register, call Cheryl Goodheim at (760) 434-5663. See the ad on page 80.

The Foundation for the Pure Spanish Horse will present its 2011 National Celebration on Aug. 30-Sept. 3 at the South Point Equestrian Center in Las Vegas, Nev. In addition to the morphology, working equitation, performance, heritage and specialty classes, there will also be Dressage at Celebration – with a $5,000 Musical Freestyle Challenge! And don’t miss the must-see ‘Horse of the Kings Theater’ show on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7:30 p.m., presenting Mystic PRE. With vendors, an art show, exhibitions, clinics and more, this is the premier event for the Pure Spanish Horse in the U.S. For more info, call (505) 294-0800. See the ad on page 10.

Los Vaqueros de las Montanas Riding Club will celebrate “Old Miner’s Days” in Big Bear with their “Burro-Palooza!” The July 25-27 event at the Los Vaqueros Rodeo Grounds will feature a Burro Derby, Junior Rodeo and a Donkey Softball Tournament. Come cheer on local teams and enjoy the fun! See the ad on page 78.

The In Gate column is composed by the sales staff at the California Horsetrader. If you would like to put the California Horsetrader or our popular national internet site, horsetrader.com, to work for you, please call our display sales staff at 760/546-1184, or email to: sales@horsetrader.com

As summer warms up, so does the equestrian real estate market! If you have a ranch or horse property listing, the California Horsetrader’s “Summer Real Estate Series” is equipped to place your listing into the hands of our quality, established readers of both our in-print and online publication. Whether at the major horse shows or in the barn, everyone reads the Horsetrader. Call Lori today at 760-546-1188, or email her at lori.wilson@horsertader.com. And if you’re looking for a potential new home for you and your horses, be sure to check out the growing real estate section!

Time flies and summer is fast-approaching, which means the Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento is right around the corner! The 13th annual event comes to Cal Expo June 10-12, and the Horsetrader will be there again as an Official Sponsor. We have a very popular issue planned, so come with us! Call Lori for advertising specials at (760) 546-1184, or see the promo on page 8!

If you, too, are a Facebook user, be sure you check out how easy is to share your favorite current ads in the Horsetrader – just go to horsetrader.com, find the ads to share and click on the “Share on Facebook” button! Not just classifieds, but display ads, Fototraders – you find it, you share it! It’s our latest new feature, and one that you will surely “like”! View PDF with EASY step-by-step instructions.

Are you appreciated? Let American Horse Products, with the largest selection of tack, supplements, English and Western attire in Orange County, show you how it feels at their 12th Annual Customer Appreciation Day Sale on Saturday, May 7, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. They’ll have free samples, demonstrations, drawings and they’re even serving up a nice catered lunch from Las Golondrinas. Manufacturer reps will be on site to answer all of your questions and give discounts on their products. They invite you to join them for a day of fun and BIG Savings. And if you’re looking to find new homes for some of your tack and saddles, bring it on by as they’re having a free tack swap meet. What a day! You could even be the winner of the Grand Prize Drawing! Save the date and don’t be late, see ad on page 70.