PASO ROBLES — West Coast eventers are flexing their muscle and measuring their moxie as 3-day events line the schedule leading up to the Galway Downs International Event at the end of this month.

PASO ROBLES — From the new to the seasoned, trainer Phillip Ralls proved to be best at the 2014 Protect The Harvest / Lucas Oil Snaffle Bit Futurity and World’s Richest Stock Horse event Aug. 19-24 at the Mid-State Fairgrounds.

Ralls, who won last year’s World’s Richest Stock Horse event on Dom Dualuise, repeated the feat on Christian Larson’s 7-year-old gelding again this year before concluding the week with an Open Futurity championship aboard Call Me Mitch, Estelle Roitblatt’s son of Metallic Cat.

“To come back and win again was even better — the World’s Richest to me was always a big one,” said Ralls, 33, whose father, Ron Ralls, won the first World’s Richest Stock Horse event in 2006 in Fresno. “I was there helping my dad the first year they had it, and he ended up winning it. It was kind of always on my bucket list, to have a horse good enough to someday win.”

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Blenheim EquiSports once again hosted the much-anticipated, prestigious ASPCA Maclay Regionals Region 8, West at the Blenheim Fall Tournament.

Set in the indoor arena on a warm Saturday evening, the class featured 36 junior riders who had qualified throughout the year, each with the hopes of advancing to the competitive Finals held at the National Horse Show in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 2.

Esteemed judges George Morris and Scott Fitton were present to evaluate the young riders as they tackled veteran course designer Skip Bailey’s intricate track layout. Using the entirety of the indoor ring, the course featured multiple challenges, including a curved hay bale jump used twice throughout the course; a shallow serpentine line requiring pace and adjustability; several tricky bending lines and sharp rollbacks, and two double combinations.

The Camp Pendleton Historical Society faced an all-day invasion at the historic Las Flores Adobe Sept. 13 for a fund-raiser for SSgt. Reckless at the seaside U.S. Marine Base. Both old and young fans of the Korean Warhorse came by for the festivities, food and history — plus a chance to receive a signed copy of Sgt. Reckless, America’s War Horse by author Robin Hutton.

Nine riders and a good turnout of spectators brought to life Bob and Dana Avila’s new ranch Sept. 6-7 during a boxing clinic put on by Avila and Ted Robinson.

CAEN, France — On a day when luck often eluded the Americans over Frédéric Cottier’s 13-obstacle track, the team of world-class riders, bookended by two championship stalwarts, persevered to finish on total of 16.72 and win the Team Bronze at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

The U.S. returned home from the WEG, held in Normandy, France, from Sept. 2-7, with seven total medals (two Gold, two Silver, and three Bronze). They finished fourth in the world count, behind Great Britain (seven Gold, 15 total), Netherlands (six, 18) and Germany (five, 15).

DEL MAR — The Showpark Summer Classic hosted the second rounds of the California Professional Horseman’s Association (CPHA) Foundation Finals Aug. 24, wrapping up the three sections of competition. Divided into 22-and-over, 21-under, and 14-under age divisions. Riders of all ages brought their medal finals game, as esteemed judges Robin Fairclough and Scott Williamson scored, tested and ultimately awarded the final placings.

After 19 entries competed in Round 1 of the 22-over, the top prize for the first round went to Stephanie Goodson aboard Poetic, who earned scores of 87 and 85 for a first round average of 86. Second went to Nicole Haseltine and Magic Act, with an average of 84.50, and third to Laura Owens and L Alta Vida for an average of 84. Rounding out the top five were Kim Hall and Jacob, earning fourth with an average of 81.50, and Caroline Ingalls and Y2K, just behind Hall in fifth with an 81.25 first round average.

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. — With more than $30,000 in added money and prizes to go with good competition, the Oregon Reining Horse Association held its 2014 Reining Classic Aug. 21-24 at the Jackson County Expo.

Barbeques, bounce houses, sunshine, horses and good ol’ fashioned reiner hospitality combined to make a fun-filled yet competitive weekend. The ORHA reported record attendance in 2014, as more than 800 runs kept up the show’s tradition as one of the premier reinings in the Pacific Northwest.

After Scott Burks started Thursday by playing a touching rendition of the National Anthem and saying a brief prayer, competition ensued in the show pen with a full slate of Ladies and Gents, Youth, Rookie, Open, Non Pro Novice Horse, and Freshman Horse classes running in two show arenas.

Exhibitors were able to gather momentarily at the ORHA hosted ice cream social before completing the first day of the show later that evening. ORHyA youth members began selling “fillies” for the ORHyA Fling A Filly fundraiser as well as raffle tickets for a 2014 John Deere gator.

DEL MAR– In designing the $32,500 Jumper Classic on Aug. 28 at the Showpark All Seasons Summer Tournament, course Michel Vaillancourt had more in mind for the riders than a traditional speed class that would award a quick time.

WOODSIDE– You know it’s going to be a weeklong battle in the saddle in every division when the increase in top horse and rider combinations over last year is a whopping 55 percent.

The 2014 Reining By The Bay once again surpassed expectations, drawing more reiners and spectators than before as the best in the west competed for more than $200,000 in added money and prizes at the Horse Park at Woodside on July 23-27.

Again, there were familiar stars this year — Tish Fappani and her longtime partner Premier Diamond (Like A Diamond x Sexy Chexy Nic) took top honors in the class of 17 exhibitors in the Non Pro Level 4 maturuity, earning $2,307 — and there were some who rose to the head of the class.