SACRAMENTO — With a magnificent reining go in the finals that took top-score honors at 147.5, Corey Cushing and Smart Boons unseated two-time defending champion Ron Emmons and Olena Oak in a classic stock horse duel to claim the 2012 Magnificent Seven competition at Cal Expo June 8-9.

Held in conjunction with the Western States Horse Expo, the event featured four events — herd, reining, steer-stopping and fence work — with a preliminary round field of 17 entries battling it out to return as one of seven finalists. Bob Avila and Bobby Ingersoll judged the event.

GLADSTONE, N.J. — Four years ago, Steffen Peters and Ravel, then an inexperienced 10-year-old, won the 2008 Grand Prix National Dressage Championship at the Festival of Champions in California. That performance earned the pair a trip to the Olympic Games where they were fourth. Four years, an FEI World Cup title, a CHIO Aachen victory and two Bronze medals at the FEI World Equestrian Games later – Ravel was granted permission by the USEF selectors to not attend the 2012 USEF Dressage Festival of Champions which was also serving as the USEF Selection Trial for the 2012 Olympic Games.

NORCO — Eighteen-year-old phenomenon Obbie Schlom of Silverado took the Norco Extreme Mustang Makeover by storm. Schlom showed two Mustang mares at the event and walked away with champion and reserve champion honors. Schlom and her Mustang mare, Rosamay, received 354 points in the finals to win, while Schlom and her Mustang mare, Crazy Mary, received 352 points.

TEMECULA – Phillip Ralls on Very Smart Smoke outdueled Russell Dilday and Brenda Brown to win the Sherri Gilkerson Memorial Open Bridle Spectacular May 20 at Casner’s Ranch.

Ralls victory with Very Smart Smoke (Very Smart Remedy x Lil Brown Freckle) earned $3,260 in the $5,000-added class that highlighted the Southern California Reined Cow Horse Association’s most popular event of the year – the Sherri Gilkerson Memorial and Big Horse Wine Country Classic. A full, three-day line-up included AQHA cutting classes on Friday along with two days of NRCHA, SCRCHA and AQHA reined cow horse classes judged by San Rose and Todd Crawford.

LA CAÑADA-FLINTRIDGE – Outstanding quality displayed by young horses and Young Riders provided excitement for officials and spectators alike during Dressage at Flintridge CDI*/Y/J, held in a picturesque setting under grand oak trees at the historic Flintridge Riding Club May 24 – 27.

Once again, this competition hosted the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Western Selection Trial, one of only three nationwide Selection Trials to select representatives to represent the U.S. at the World Championships in August.

WOODSIDE — Frankie Thieriot and Julie Flettner each rode faultless show jumping rounds to win the two divisions of the $15,000 Woodside Preliminary Challenge at the Woodside Horse Trials on May 25-27.

Riding Euphoria, owned by Tory Smith, Thieriot, of Occidental, won the Horse Division with a score of 27.1 penalties. Riding her own Ping Pong, Flettner, of Petaluma, Calif., won the Rider Division with a score of 27.9.

ELK GROVE – Almost 200 horses and some of Northern California’s top reiners converged on the Brookside Equestrian Center May 3-6 for the 2012 Rein for the Roses.

Host Bill Madden put on three social events at this four-day reining, including a free spaghetti dinner at Thursday night’s draw party, a tri-tip dinner Friday, and a special Derby Day deal where the reining show’s schedule halted to present the Kentucky Derby on four televisions in Silky’s Back Gate pub. About 100 attended, followed that evening with a taco dinner and the Hat Parade and Contest was held.

BURBANK – The Hollywood Charity Reining Royale, hosted by William Shatner, returned April 25-29 to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, this time with a new reining Maturity class in the line-up.

Trainer Tom Foran, who operates out of the LAEC, defended his ‘home turf’ by winning the maturity on Elaine Davis’s gelding, Lil Joe Tag. He also rode to the reserve title on Copus Performance Horses’ talented stallion, Gunball Machine.

DEL MAR – Rich Fellers and the 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse Flexible have ridden headlines the last month with their respective championships at the FEI/Rolex World Cup Final and two grand prixes at the Del Mar National Horse Show. On May 12, it was Flexible’s daughter, Colgan Cruise, who earned the win and the limelight, as the sire took a well-deserved day off at the Blenheim Ranch and Coast $60,000 Grand Prix of California at Showpark.

After riding to a one-two finish in the Ranch and Coast’s $10,000 1.40M Jumper Classic, presented by CardFlex, Fellers took Colgan Cruise, owned by Fellers and Harry and Mollie Chapman, to the only clear round on designer Anthony D’Ambrosio’s course on the grass field. The talk of the track was an early vertical-oxer double combination that kept many from reaching the jump-off.

BAKERSFIELD – Lance Johnston used a 152 score in cow work aboard This Cats Smart Too to vault past the field and win the Open Championship of the Valley Cow Horse Association Hackamore Showdown, held April 27-28 at the Sundance Arena in Bakersfield.

For his win with This Cats Smart Too, owned by Katie Moon, Johnston earned the $4,000 Open purse. Reserve champion Phillip Ralls on Chris Larcon’s Dom Dualuise – who had marked a 150 in the herd work – collected $3,124.