SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — On a couple of cool, breezy afternoons, Blenheim EquiSports presented two stellar high performance events, the $50,000 Blenheim Spring Classic III Grand Prix, presented by Equine Insurance, and this season’s first $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, both on the International Grand Prix Field during the April 10-14 meet.

Exciting twists and turns captivated competitors and spectators alike. With grand prix prize money increased by over 20 percent for Week III of the Blenheim Spring Series, internationally renowned course designer Leopoldo Palacios intentionally built a tough track.

TEMECULA– This spring Hawley Bennett-Awad and Linda Paine’s superstar mare, Gin ‘N Juice continued their winning ways at the Galway Downs International Horse Trials on Easter weekend, winning the CIC3* (50.1 penalties) for their third straight victory.

LAS Vegas, Nev. — Marjie Robinson scored the victory of her life when she entered the show pen at the National Reined Cow Horse Association Stakes last month at South Point Equestrian Center.

Then, she won the Level 1 Limited Open Championship.

BURBANK — The California Reining Horse Association hopped into gear March 29-31 with its Bunny Slide Reining competition Easter weekend, and the region’s top reiners earned some ground toward in their 2013 campaign toward club and affiliate qualifying for this fall’s big events.

In addition to serving as the first two National Reining Horse Association Affiliate Shows of 2013, the Bunny Slide also served up two slates of CRHA Jackpot competition. Two full slates of PCHA reining classes included two Jack and Linda Baker qualifying classes.

All told, the three-day reining at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center provided a springboard for qualifiers to the CRHA’s venerable Challenge competition, including the second annual CRHA Reiner of the Year competition, as well as a qualification to the NRHA Affiliate Finals.

CRHA BUNNY SLIDE
March 29-31, 2013 * Burbank, Calif.

CRHA CHAMPIONS – Slate 1
Division/ Rider/ Horse/ Owner
Ladies: Brenda Brown/ North Star Wrangler/ M.W. Green
Gents: Chad Hardwick/ Big Hollywood Chex/ L.Hardwich
Open: Brenda Brown/ Mr Hollywood Whiz/ K.Thayer
Y13-Under: Lisa Bricker/ Shady Moonshine/ D.Bricker
Y14-18: Kristi Wiggins/ Gangsters Hitman/ E.K. Wiggins
Nov Horse Open: D Bricker / Boggies Last Benz/ Painted Desert
NP & IntNP: Lindsey Handren/ Roxys Custom Crome/ L.Handren
Ltd NP: Lindsey Spencer/ Otoe Chant Pine/ L. Spencer
PT Rookie: Marcie Whitney Green/ North Star Wrangler/ M.W.Green
Green as Grass: Rebecca Armour/ San Cielo Rey/ R.Armour

CRHA CHAMPIONS – Slate 2
Division/ Rider/ Horse/ Owner
Open: Dallas Wedel/ Downright Juicy/ J.Moran
Ladies: Kristi Berg/ Dancin At Night/ J. Ghiselli
Gents: David Adams/ Chocolate Whiz Chic/ A Hammonds Rnch
Y14-18: Tommy Weiss/ Fancy Red Short Oak/ K. Weiss
Nov Horse Open: Donnie Bricker/ Boogies Last Benz/ Painted Desert
Nov Horse NP: Tina Ries / Smart Shiney Cruiser/ T. Ries
Non Pro: Kim Adamic/ Jesses Cowgirl/ K. Adamic
Int NP: Gene Williams/ Gata Mia/ E. Williams
Ltd NP: Gene Williams/ Gata Mia/ E. Williams
PT NP: Gene Williams/ Gata Mia/ E. Williams
Rookie L1: Rebecca Armour/ San Cielo Rey/ R. Armour
Rookie L2: Cassandra Stambuk/ Smugglin Diamonds/ R. Stambuk
PT Rookie : Rex Ross / Smokee San Badger/ Rex Ross

THERMAL — With a first-place prize of $350,000 on the line, Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum rose to the occasion, piloting Bella Donna to a paycheck she will not soon forget as winner of the first-ever AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach. The best of only two clear rounds, Michaels-Beerbaum and the 10-year-old mare that she co-owns with EOS Sport capitalized on a successful season at HITS Desert Horse Park with the sweetest win of them all.

TEMECULA – When the three-day Galway Winter Horse Trials wrapped up Feb. 3, it really marked a beginning — of the Area VI winter-spring season, that is.

Successive Southern California competitions at Twin Rivers, Copper Meadows, then back to Galway for this weekend’s International Horse Trials, then on to Twin Rivers for its mid-April event illustrate how the region has become a hotbed for the this exciting discipline that combines cross-country, dressage and stadium jumping.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The Cactus Reining Classic enlivened reining with another high-powered winter event, and a number of Californians brought home rewarding victories to start off their year after the five-day competition at Westworld.

This event, part of a three-show series that includes Reining By The Bay and High Roller Reining Classic, posted a double-digit increase in entries over the previous year for the third straight year. The March 6-10 reining in the Tony Nelssen Equestrian Center lured top American and international horse-and-rider combinations, some traveling from Italy, Brazil and Canada as well as all over the U.S.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – More than 2,000 horses descended onto Westworld Feb. 14-24 for the 58th Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, and as they have since the first decade of this illustrious event, California horses and exhibitors shined.

Jon Ramsey, head trainer at Stachowski West in San Marcos, continued his barn’s ascension into 2013 with nine horses winning Scottsdale Champion honors and 10 earning Scottsdale Top Tens.

THERMAL – In a stunning repeat performance, Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and the 9-year-old mare, Malou, owned by Octavia Farms, scored victory March 10 the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis. The win comes on the heels of a $50,000 HITS Grand Prix on the previous Sunday.

“Malou has emerged as my most successful horse of the Desert Circuit,” Michaels-Beerbaum said.

Entering the final weekend March 16-17, Malou had been in the money in every Thermal grand prix in which she’s shown – a total of nine beginning with Desert Circuit II. She also landed in the ribbons in the $5,000 PCHA Jimmy Williams Classic that was her starter class during week one.

RANCHO MURIETA — A new season of West Coast Reining Horse Association competition was launched Feb. 8-10 at the Murieta Equine Complex, and with it was a familiar pattern: the nation’s largest affiliate continues to grow.

“We always judge our year on the first couple of turnouts,” said incoming WCRHA President Ollie Galligan. “We had our schooling show at the end of January, and it was a huge turnout, and then the Affiliate 1 show was good. We’re growing and growing some more.”