TEMECULA — Phillip Dutton has been in this position many times—last to go with not a rail in hand. He’d already jumped a clear round on the young Mr. Candyman, who could then finish no lower than fourth in the headline CCI3* division, at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event on Oct. 28-Nov. 1.

After an unanticipated clattering through a warm-up fence, Dutton, of Pennsylvania, set his trademark Secret Service expression and galloped overnight leader Fernhill Fugitive into the arena and around Marc Donovan’s 560-meter track. The 15-obstacle course had just seen Lauren Kieffer (Middleburg, Va.) and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett take an unlucky rail at the wine bottle vertical before the last triple combination, dropping them one place to third (49.8).

As Fernhill Fugitive cleared the final oxer of the triple combination to finish with 43.4 penalties, the spectators lining the arena erupted in cheers and were treated to a rare display of Dutton emotion as he cracked a huge grin, enthusiastically patted “Jack,” and high-fived with head groom Emma Ford. Afterward, he summed up his thoughts about his Pan Am Games gold-medal partner, who had top-10 finishes at Rolex Kentucky and the Pan Am Games this year. “I couldn’t be any more proud of the horse—he’s just had a great year. Every year he just seems to get better and better. I am so excited for him and for [owners] Annie Jones and Tom Tierney, who have been very patient with him.” He continued, “He’s been a great horse, it’s been an incredible year for him. I wasn’t that confident going in because I don’t usually get too many clear rounds with him, but he did enough today. I’m really proud of him.”

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Temecula-based eventer Tamra Smith, who just won a pair of titles at the Galway Downs International (related story, page 32), was named last week by the U.S. Equestrian Federation to its High Performance Winter/Spring Training List for 2016. She will train as a member of the World Class list with U.S. Eventing Team Coach David O’Connor.

The appointment caps a stellar year and remarkable month, during which Smith turned heads nationally with a win at the Fair Hill International CCI3* in Maryland, where she had led start-to-finish on Mai Baum Oct. 15-18. At Galway, she won both the CCI2* and CCI1* events, on Chatwin and Fleeceworks Royal, respectively.

“This year has just been an amazing journey for me, and I want to thank all of the owners of the remarkable horses I have been so blessed to ride,” Smith said after the Galway Downs International.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — With 39 entries and 11 clean, the final qualifier of the Markel Insurance 1.40m Grand Prix Series kept everyone on the edge of their seats and saddles, as top contenders raced to be the fastest, and, of course, clean. Four riders each had two horses in the jump-off, Brazilian Eduardo Menezes, Australian Lane Clarke, Brazilian Josephina Nor Lantzman and Enrique Gonzalez of Mexico, followed by last week’s winner, American Susan Hutchison aboard Ziedento.

With several speed demons aiming for the top prize, it was Clarke piloting MH Wardance, owned by MH Warbucks, who took the quickest route without a fault. Demonstrating true warrior mentality, “Brave,” as Clarke calls the horse, performed this feat even after pulling a shoe partway through the jump-off round.

Clarke was fully aware that the competition was going to put the pressure on.

“I knew it was going to be really fast from the beginning,” he said. “Eduardo on Carushka was extremely fast, my mare Semira is extremely fast, so I knew I was going to have to go really fast on Brave. I really wanted to win the last Grand Prix [of the season], it’s home and I love it here.”

PASO ROBLES — Entries, purses and prizes all increased at this year’s National Stock Horse Association Futurity, and one rider in particular seemed to be in a zone. The Zane Zone.

Idaho-based Zane Davis, who had his breakthrough year in 2009 when he won the NSHA Futurity Open on Reymanator (Dual Rey x Savannah Hickory), did it again this year aboard Michelle Cannon’s Shiney Outlaw (Shiners Nickle x Mereyda), topping a long list of quality 3-year-olds to earn $15,900.

Davis also brought west Reymanator, who thrilled the Paso Robles Events Center crowd in winning the 2015 World’s Richest Stock Horse competition, sponsored by Hearst Ranch Winery, to become the first NSHA Triple Crown Champion — winner of its Futurity, Derby and World’s Richest events.

ELK GROVE — In August, one never knows what to expect with the weather. It could be a warm 106 or a cool 86. The Summer Rein show was blessed to enjoy the lower temperatures and cool breezes.

The Summer Rein show is an NRHA approved and WCRHA approved show and was judged by Johnette Burman from Montana and BJ Le Master from Sacramento over the 3 days. We started the show at 7:30 on Friday and with the cooler temps we started the show at 9 on Saturday and Sunday.

Friday Night draw party was held at the Elk Grove Milling Pavilion and hosted by Lorraine Kemper, Future Homes & Real Estate. We served 105 carnitas taco dinners and then the exhibitors were called to the stage 1 by 1 to select their positions in Non Pro and Open Futurity and received a gift card and a Brookside Wine Glass.

DEL MAR — Blenheim EquiSports is pleased to host the Young Jumper Championships Western League Finals again this year. After three rounds, one on Thursday, one Friday and the last one today, three young champions in three age divisions rose to the top of the results.

After Thursday and Friday’s qualifying rounds, all ten entries returned for the final round.

Two of the ten, Michelle Parker and Cross Creek Farm’s U.S. Warmblood gelding CCF Yasur (Ocean I x Andiamo), along with Jamie Sailor and Felyn Farm’s Hanoverian gelding Flashdance (For Edition x Quinar), jumped through all three rounds fault free. The two talented five-year-olds returned for a jump-off to determine the winner.

FABIANSEBESTYEN, Hungary – Kathrin Dancer drove accurately through the cones to finish fifth in the final phase of the 2015 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs Sept. 14 with a time of 3:07.37. She led the U.S. team, consisting of Jacob Arnold and Scott Dancer, throughout the entire competition and concludes these championships with an 18th-place finish. The U.S. finished ninth overall with a score of 391.6.

“This was such a great experience,” she said. “Everyone who was here supporting us was amazing; it was just a relaxing environment. The rest of the nations saw that the U.S. is a contender. Our horses are only going to get better from here.”

DEL MAR — After hosting a full schedule of hunter and jumper divisions, including two grand prix classes, the Showpark Summer Classic wrapped up a well-established equitation event Aug. 16 with three sections of second rounds and work-offs in the California Professional Horsemen’s Association Foundation Equitation Championship Finals. Divided into 22-over, 14-under and 21-under age divisions, riders faced challenging courses with work-offs built in, part of the Foundation format. The honorable Alex Jayne and Frank Willard scored, tested and ultimately awarded the final placings.

Round 1 tests included a counter-canter to fence 3 and walking fence 12 plus some tight turn options. After 27 entries competed in Round 1, the top prize for the round went to Stephanie Goodson aboard Poetic, who earned a first round average of 86.5. Second went to Renee Rodda riding Notable with an average of 85.5, and third to Katie Cramer on SS Brando with an average of 84.75. Only 6.5 points separated the top eight, with fourth through eighth awarded to Kathy Nolan, Tonya Johnston, Belle Calkin, Laura Owens and Virginia Fout, respectively.

HUNTINGTON BEACH — The California Reining Horse Association has a foolproof formula for putting on the summer’s coolest reining shows: Hold them at the beach.

That’s what the CRHA did Aug. 1 for its annual Slide On The Beach at the Huntington Beach Central Park Equestrian Center, and the raves — like the waves — came in.

“This is definitely our ‘coolest’ annual event,’ said CRHA board member Lisa Anderson. “Cool not only because this year’s temperature was 78 degrees with the benefit of Huntington Beach’s offshore breeze but, it also brings out the coolness of all our competitors.

Anderson said the camaraderie and fun was evident throughout the day, as competitors and spectators truly supported and cheered one another.

Arianna Barzman-Grennan was all smiles as she modeled her new team jacket emblazoned with a bright championship logo.

“I’ve always wanted one of these,” she beamed.

Barzman-Grennan, 20, of San Jose, was one of many winners who traveled as many as eight hours from up and down the West Coast to participate in this year’s California Dressage Society Junior and Young Rider Championships. Held in two locations representing the Northern and Southern regions, the competitions were held July 31–Aug. 2 in Elk Grove, and Aug. 14–16 in Temecula.

Riders ranged in age from as young as nine years old aboard trusted mounts of all breeds, shapes and sizes. With classes and divisions offered from Training Level to FEI as well as equitation, freestyles, and quadrilles, there was something for everyone whether a casual Pony Clubber attending a large dressage show for the first time or an accomplished NAJYRC competitor.

Barzman-Grennan has been coming to these Championships since 2010, and now in her final year of eligibility she wasn’t going to miss attending the show one last time before starting her fall semester of college.