Peyton Warren and Casmir Z fly to the 2016 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – West Championship.

Amy McCool photo

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Always a test of mindfulness and skill, the four phases of the 2016 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – ,held Sept. 22-24 at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park, illustrated the demands on a show jumper.
Nineteen qualified riders began the finals on Friday, which after three phases were narrowed down to a final four who then demonstrated their abilities to ride a course on four different horses.

Sitting on top going into the final phase, Peyton Warren, of Rancho Murieta, emerged as the 2016 champion. Riding Casmir Z, Warren’s style and experience gave her the edge to secure the win.

“It means the world to me to win a Final like this because I’m passionate about the jumpers, and that’s what I ultimately want to do for a career,” Warren stated. “I have a lot of respect for this Final because I knew the goal was to have my horse prepared to jump the final round to the best of his ability. And I could feel it accomplishing that.”

PASO ROBLES — Kelby Phillips liked what he first saw in Duallys Lucky Charm as a two-year old last winter at his friend’s ranch in Texas, and now others are liking the colt, too.

Phillips, who’s been Dean Tuftin’s trainer at DT Ranch in Bend, Ore., about 18 months now, rode him to the National Stock Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championship Aug. 21 with a solid showing that earned $16,438 for owner Mike Stewart of Munday, Texas.

“After the AQHA World, I went by my friend Jake Murray’s place in Texas, tried him out, and we bought him,” Phillips said. “He was just good-minded. Everything I done with him, he took it real good. Loped real pretty. The thing for our deal is they got to be pretty movers, and he was a pretty mover. He also had a lot of stop.”

Nine months later, all those traits put Phillips and “Will” on top the NSHA Futurity Open leaderboard as they headed into the fence work with a 4.5-point lead. Their 220 in the reining was one-point off the high score, and they had the best herd work with a 224 — a feat he credits to herd crew Mark Luis, Phillip Ralls, Zane Davis and Clayton Edsell.

During the week, they’re hard-working accountants, managers, students, and medical professionals, juggling careers, family, and a love of horses.
But on the weekends, legions of adult amateurs can be found at the barn or in the arena, pursuing their goals both in the saddle and in the show ring. And, thanks to the Equine Insurance/CDS Regional Adult Amateur Competition program (RAAC), California Dressage Society members have the unique chance to earn special accolades among their peers.

The Equine Insurance/CDS RAAC series was created to provide adult amateur riders from all walks of life with an opportunity to qualify and compete against others of similar skills and experience. The regional nature of these shows provides CDS members with a developmental path for gaining competitive experience, promote excellence and increase awareness of and support for CDS’ Chapter organizations. Riders can qualify to participate in one of three RAAC shows held in easily-accessible venues in the Northern (Santa Rosa), Central (Paso Robles), and Southern (Del mar) regions of California, each offering a chance to compete for fabulous prizes at all dressage levels from Basic to Intermediaire I in Elite as well as Novice divisions that provide an inviting introduction for exhibitors to become familiar with the experience and atmosphere of a licensed dressage competition.

CALGARY, Alberta, Can. — The United States’ McLain Ward and HH Azur went head-to-head against Great Britain’s Scott Brash and Ursula XII in a nail-biting jump-off Sept. 11 at the CP International Grand Prix, presented by Rolex. Because the defending champions went triple-clear, Ward and HH Azur needed to complete the jump-off under 41.19 seconds. Unfortunately, they had a rail at fence two, a Rolex vertical, to end on four faults for second place. Italy’s Lorenzo De Luca and Ensor De Litrange LXII finished third with one time fault. Kent Farrington and Voyeur, also part of the U.S. contingent, finished just outside the top three with four faults.

WAYNE, Ill. – Champions were named Aug. 27 at the 2016 Markel/USEF Young & Developing Horse Dressage National Championships, and two of the three were from the Golden State.

Christian Hartung of Vacaville and Desario, who received record marks, claimed the Markel/USEF Five-Year-Old National Championship, while Craig Stanley of Madera and Habanero CWS overtook Justine Wilson and Hero BHS for the Markel/USEF Four-Year-Old Championship title.

Friends, dignitaries and fans celebrate U.S. Show Jumping Team Aug. 21 at Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park.

Capturedmomentphoto.com photo

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Fresh off the plane from Rio de Janeiro, where the U.S. Show Jumping Team won a Team Silver Medal, U.S. Coach Robert Ridland returned from the 2016 Summer Olympic Games Aug. 21 to a warm greeting from his family, friends and the community with a special congratulatory ceremony on the pristine Oaks International Field at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park.

Ridland, surrounded by his peers and a group of city dignitaries, spoke of the Brazilian experience with pride and true respect for the ups and downs of the sport of show jumping.

Noting that Beezie Madden’s horse Cortes C had sustained a minor tendon injury, he further explained: “On the final day, we were left with just three riders — all three scores had to count, meaning no discard score which is a fundamental disadvantage in our sport. No one can find in the records anywhere in this century or any century a team who won a medal with just three riders.”

He was then congratulated by several for his role in earning this admirable honor for his country, for California and, of course, for the city of San Juan Capistrano, where he is President of Blenheim Facility Management and Blenheim EquiSports, both based at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park.

DEL MAR — The Showpark Summer Classic hosted the California Professional Horsemen’s Association (CPHA) Foundation Equitation Championship Finals Aug. 26-28. Divided into 22 & Over, 14 & Under and 21 & Under age divisions, after completing Round 1 on Friday, courses with work-offs built in as part of the Foundation format, the competition continued Sunday morning with Round 2 and further work-offs as needed. The honorable Scott Williamson and Mark Jungherr judged the hotly contested event. After two days of tests, three champions stood on the top of the awards podium: Tonya Johnson, Elli Yeager and Grady Lyman.

Tracer Gilson takes the Level 4 title of the $16,000-added Open Futurity on Da Big Kahuna, owned by Joe and Karen Moran of Laguna Hills.

John O’Hara photo

WOODSIDE – According to Pat Warren of Rancho Oso Rio, the Horse Park at Woodside, home of Reining By The Bay, is the ultimate place to hold a horse show. Pat should know as she’s lived near the Park for many years and, along with Amanda Brumley of Brumley Management Group, is one of the founders of the Reining By The Bay.  Now in its 18th great year as the California Reining Community’s all-time favorite show, Reining By The Bay offers world class competition in the most beautiful setting imaginable. “The facility has really grown over the years,” Pat muses. “From a place of fenced, dirt fields, to a grand facility that hosts many, many shows annually in eight different arenas. They can handle #1000 show horses now. We would do even more reining shows here if we could just get the dates.”

Cool awards and friendly competition — plus terrific weather — made for a nice three-day reining event by the California Reining Horse Association Aug. 5-7 at Galway Downs in Temecula. Circuit champions went home with a new bicycle, and reserve circuit champs received super sharp knives.

Although it was not an NRHA Affiliate event, the two-slate show featured CRHA and National Reining Horse Association classes, as well as PCHA, AQHA and APHA classes. Dave Belson and Linde Von Koding were judges.

The next CRHA event will be the association’s big year-end Challenge Show, scheduled Oct. 26-30 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

More online: Http://bit.ly/608B_CRHA

Stefanie Putnam and Bethesda After Dark

Marie de Ronde-Oudemans photo

BEESD, Netherlands — California driving competitor Stefanie Putnam, the only U.S. representative in the 2016 FEI World Para-Driving Championships, used a strong showing in the cone phase to finish fifth overall in the Aug. 3-6 competition.

Putnam, from Layfeyette. took fifth in dressage, eighth in the marathon, and third in cones, driving her Morgan gelding, Bethesda After Dark.
It was her European debut at the Championships, and she impressed with her stellar performance. As the sole U.S. representative, Putnam looked right at home competing against a strong international field in the Grade I division.

She executed a solid test with Bethesda After Dark on the first day in front of the Ground Jury of Andrew Counsil (GBR), Gun Hagring (SWE), Danuta Nowicka (POL), Henk van Amerongon (NED), and Reiner Wannenwetsch (GER).

She and the 1993 Morgan gelding scored of 53.58 in dressage, then the pair attacked the Barry Hunter (GBR)-designed marathon course on Friday, having great times in obstacles two and three. They finished the marathon phase in eighth place, adding 100.92 penalties to their overall score to remain in fifth place.