BURBANK — California’s spring CDI season got underway this weekend at the Mid-Winter Dressage Fair and CDI 3*/Y/J, held Feb. 22-24 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Riders were looking to get their 2013 international competition season off to a strong start. Some of these exhibitors were also showing off fresh-faced mounts, and in the case of Olympic veterans Guenter Seidel and Steffen Peters, their extensive experience helped guide their exciting new horses to blue ribbons.

TEMECULA — The Southern California Reined Cow Horse Association wrapped up a banner year with their awards banquet Feb. 17 with buckles and stirrups awarded to the association’s top performers of 2012.

The new year starts March 8-9 with the Pot O’Gold event at Green Acres Ranch in Temecula.

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THERMAL — A grand prix victory is always impressive, but when it’s your first, and it’s in a 1.60m class, that bumps it into the realm of stunning, and stun the crowd is exactly what Tiffany Sullivan did Saturday night, riding Tristan to the front of the pack in the $54,500 Purina Animal Nutrition CSI-W 2* Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis.

Competing before an overflow audience for the last of three FEI World Cup qualifying classes at HITS Desert Horse Park, the Los Angeles-based Sullivan rocked the house as the first to go clear in the order of 22 horse-and-rider pairs.

“This is my first year competing in the meter-50s, let alone meter-60s,” said Sullivan.

THERMAL — It was twice the talent and double helpings of prize money at the top of this weekend’s $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix class results as Jamie Taylor of Tarzana rode to first place on Grand Noir, owned by Inspiration Farms, and second on Natasha Ledon’s Conteros. Taylor Ann Adams of Calabasas notched third and fourth on Iwasaki & Reilly’s Small Affair and Small Kiss, respectively.

The 28-year-old Taylor, assistant trainer at Huntover, points out that both Grand Noir and Conteros are former jumpers introduced to the hunter ring within the past few months.

THERMAL –The crowd had plenty to cheer about as Canadian rider John Pearce and his majestic grey mount, Chianto, sped to victory in the $30,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, on Feb. 24.

With 10 making it into the jump-off from a field of 55 starters, there was no question that the final round would provide a fast and furious finish to HITS Desert Circuit IV. And it did. Pearce’s jump-off time of 39.56 seconds was less than a half-second faster than Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum’s 39.96 second-place finish on Octavia Farms’ Malou. In third, Mexico’s Enrique Gonzalez and his own Quilebo Du Tillard broke the beam at 40.97 seconds.

SAN ANGELO, Texas — In a thrilling, down-to-the-wire fence work finish Feb. 2 at Spur Arena Ron Emmons claimed his second consecutive World’s Greatest Horseman Championship aboard Olena Oak (Smart Chic Olena x Fritzs Oak E Doakie), a 2002 stallion owned in partnership between Nichole Scott and Emmons’ wife, LaDona Emmons.

SAN ANGELO — For a second year in a row, Madera professional Lyn Anderson guided Tuckers Smart Cat (WR This Cats Smart x Smoke Time Tuck) to the NRCHA Open Hackamore World Championship Feb. 1 at Spur Arena.

RIVERSIDE — Reiners from the California Reining Horse Association celebrated their remarkable year Jan. 8 at the Riverside Rancheros.

THERMAL — It was a rewarding day for hunter riders in Thermal, as Desert Circuit III wound to a close with two big-money competitions on Sunday, which marked the conclusion of the first half of the 2013 HITS Desert Circuit.

POMONA — Rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the region’s Arabian exhibitors who filled the Fairplex Jan. 25-27 for the 38th Annual Sierra Empire Arabian Horse Association show. The venue attracted top talent looking to start a new show season and prepare for the upcoming Scottsdale Arabian Show this month.

Once held in April, the SEAHA event moved to January three years ago when the venerable Whittier Lions Horse Show ended its 48-year run.

Temecula-based trainer Katherine Rich-Elzig, the granddaughter of Whittier Lions Show founder and leader, Dr. Harold West, looks forward to the January competition.