RANCHO MURIETA — The West Coast Reining Horse Association held its Best of the West horse show Oct. 11-16 at the beautiful Rancho Murieta facility near Sacramento. The show ran a full slate of reining classes, including classes for the National Reining Horse Association’s North West Regional Affiliate Finals.

Reiners came from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada to compete for seven trophy saddles, over $20,000 in prize money, and possibly the honor of representing the North West Region of the United States at the prestigious NRHA Futurity show which will be held Nov. 2-Dec. 3 in Oklahoma City. Gina Hunter from Tracy, winner of last year’s Non Pro Futurity with Guns Lit N Blazin, said that this show was a “great preparation for the NRHA Futurity in Oklahoma.”

TEMECULA – The top riders and stock horses from the Southern California Reined Cow Horse Association converged on Casner’s Ranch Oct. 14-16 for the Sixth Annual Shootout and Booh-Yaah Benefit Event, and the results were Rich.

As in Roy Rich.

The Temecula trainer, whose barn at Green Acres Ranch is just an exercise ride down De Portola Road, added to his best year ever with a strong performance that included the top three places in the Open Shootout. He won the top prize and saddle on Miss Cattlemaster, a bay mare owned by Jodi Sypherd that totaled 146.5.

RANCHO MURIETA – Competition for the California Dressage Society Horse of the Year awards is always fierce, and competitors once again had to bring their best rides to the Murieta Equestrian Center on Sunday, Oct. 6-9.

The competition highlighted a big weekend at the 44th Annual CDS Championship Show held in conjunction with the CDS Young Horse Futurity (including the Cal-Bred Futurity), the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 7 Dressage Championships and the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Breeders Championships West Coast Series Final.

LEXINGTON, Va. — Xena Vimercati, from the Three Day Ranch in Murrieta competed at the International Friesian Show Horse Association World and Grand National Championships, held Oct. 5-9 at the Virginia Horse Park.

Sjoerd, who at age 6 has amassed a remarkable 38 World and Grand National Champion lifetime titles, now has more career points than any other Friesian in IFSHA history. This year, he won championships in 11 different disciplines.

RENO, Nev. — Todd Bergen, lifted by a 224.5 reining score, took Shiners Dun Juan (Smart Shiner x Cremes Chic Olena), owned by Janiejill Tointin, to the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Division World Championship Oct. 2, staking claim to the $100,000 winners purse with a composite score of 657.5. Moonstruck Pepto (One Time Pepto x Moonstruck Cat) and Boyd Rice took reserve and $78,000 with 654 points, while Stylishnfancy (Stylish Rey x Playgirl Fancy) and Zane Davis earned third and $58,000 with 653.5 points.

This marks the second NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity title for Bergen, who won his first one on Boonlight Dancer in 2001. The Eagle Point, Ore., trainer also has had two Snaffle Bit Futurity Reserve Championships in his career, which is marked by him being the first rider to claim Million Dollar status in both the NRCHA and the National Reining Horse Association.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. — The Nevada County Fairgrounds had something to celebrate Sept. 22-25, as it hosted the 25th Annual Draft Horse Classic along with their Harvest Fair and first Annual Classic Rib Cook-Off. In six performances throughout the four-day event, draft horse exhibitors from California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, and Iowa competed for more than $35,000 in premium awards.

Ciera Barry, 17, of Millvale was awarded “Youth of the Show,” the high point for youth competitors, after placing first in Gambler’s Choice and Junior Showmanship, and second in Junior Team Driving and Junior Cart. For the fifth consecutive year, Danielle Simpson, of Simpson Percherons from Rio Vista, was recognized as the outstanding lady driver, accumulating high points to win the Susan Parnell High Point Perpetual Award.

DEL MAR — Helen McNaught and Karl Cook were the big winners Sept. 28-Oct. 2, as top horses and riders converged on the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the popular 2011 Del Mar International Horse Show.

McNaught, aboard Alison Heafey’s Lariccello, won the $50,000 Del Mar International Grand Prix and took third in the $31,000 ShowBiz Magazine Welcome Stake. The grand prix, held under the lights in the Del Mar Arena, was a World Cup qualifier CSI-W and was presented by Villas at Rancho Valencia.

SANTA BARBARA, CA — At this years Quarter Horse Fall Classic, held at the Earl Warren Show Grounds in Santa Barbara, the competitors had plenty of fun as well as an opportunity to gain some extra points. The Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association presented the show with six judges (Dawn Clason, Brett Clark, Jan Hoskin, Stephen Stevens, Nancy Swarm, and Lance Treptow), giving Classic participants the chance to earn six sets of points over four days.

LAS VEGAS – The High Roller Reining Classic, combining $300,000 in added money, top reiner competition and the excitement of Las Vegas, once again was a hit, as the Brumley Management Group wrapped up its trio of 2012 events with the Sept. 11-17 competition. The Cactus Reining Classic in April and the Reining By The Bay in July were the precursors.

Casey and Nicole Deary of Weatherford, Texas, had quite the show in Las Vegas, with Casey taking Carlos Gonzalez’ 3-year old buckskin, Wimp Daddy (Wimpys Little Step x Cody Kay Quixote), to a 224.5 to win the Level 4 division of the $70,000 added Spooks Gotta Gun Open Futurity out of a field of 33. Nicole and her mother’s Tagged My Chic (Whiz N Tag Chex x Cheeky Boom) won three out of four of Non Pro Ancillary Divisions (slate 2) and the coveted HRRC Limited Non Pro High Point Bob’s Custom Saddle.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Thirty-six leading West Coast junior equitation riders competed in Blenheim Farm’s covered arena on the evening of Sept. 17 in the ASPCA Maclay West Coast Regional Finals. With 30 returning for the flat phase and four for the work-off, it was Morgan Geller aboard Fabricio who finished on top.

Geller and up to 20 more riders earned an invitation to compete in the 2011 ASPCA Maclay National Championship at the National Horse Show Nov. 2-6 in Lexington, KY.