The October ‘In Gate’
Have you herd? San Pasqual Valley Ranch offers a ‘Cattle Club’
From the Horsetrader sales staff
Just five miles east of Interstate 15 in the beautiful San Pasqual Valley of northern San Diego County lies San Pasqual Valley Ranch. It’s a well-appointed boarding and training center that offers all the services and amenities you would find at other top facilities, but it has one thing that most others do NOT have: cattle. If you are interested in sorting, penning, roping or cutting, San Pasqual Valley Ranch is a must-see. Its reputation is golden for its boarding, lessons and training offerings, and the facilities are excellent — four lighted arenas including a 140′ x 260′ rodeo arena, a 120 x 220′ sand arena, a 70′ x 110′ sorting arena and a cutting arena. Lighted round pens are on the grounds, too, as are in-and-out barn stalls, 24′ x 24′ box stalls and turnouts. Be sure to ask about the San Pasqual Valley Ranch’s “Cattle Club,” with weekly access to roping steers for one low monthly charge! For more info, see the ad on page 18, call (760) 805-5381, or visit the ranch’s website at https://www.callspvr.com.
Let’s save Conejo Creek!
Survey by district agency could determine future of equestrian park
From Horsetrader staff reports
THOUSAND OAKS — Equestrians are banding together to keep horses in the future of their beloved Conejo Creek Equestrian Park.
Deadline is Dec. 6 for anyone to complete an online survey by the Conejo Recreation and Park District “to assess the entire community’s interests and needs for future use.” Here is a link to the survey: https://bit.ly/2410survey.
“It’s a horrifying thought that this could be the slippery slope of us losing our horse park in the next one to two years unless the equestrian voice is loud right now,” said local equestrian Diana Merville of Thousand Oaks.
10 Things to Know About Colic
UC Davis shares important insight on equine colic
By UC Davis Center for Equine Health
Colic is an unwelcome word in the equine world. The majority of equestrians have at least one colic story, with outcomes ranging from good to gut-wrenching.
Since colic is common and can have serious implications, it is an often-discussed topic, complete with plenty of anecdotal evidence, myths, and unscientific advice. We teamed up with Julie Dechant, DVM, MS, DACVS, DACVECC, professor of equine surgery and assistant director of the UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Large Animal Clinic to provide some clarity on equine colic.
Well-grounded
A solid foundation in ground work started Sabrina Smith’s college ride
By Horsetrader staff
RAMONA — Gainesville, Texas, is about 1,400 miles from Sabrina Smith’s growing grounds in Ramona, but she is right at home.
The 21-year-old sophomore competes on the North Central Texas College equestrian team, working toward a degree in criminal justice on a full-ride scholarship she earned from the ground up.
The daughter of Ramona-based trainer Tony Smith, Sabrina credits the versatility of her riding experiences for her selection to the NCTC equestrian team. Trail. Western. English. Ranch. Reining. Working cow. Versatility with a capital “V”.
And both she and her dad credit her early foundation in showmanship and horsemanship for a seemingly natural connection across different disciplines.
Doug Williamson, 1942-2024
Master horseman, teacher and friend passes away at age 82
From staff and published reports
Doug Williamson, a legend in performance horse circles who taught and inspired a generation, passed away Aug. 14 in his home alongside his loving wife Carol. He was 82.
Williamson was born March 15, 1942, and grew up on his family’s ranch in Vale, Ore. From a young age, he worked on the ranch and developed his cowboy and horsemanship skills. After graduating from high school, he worked on several ranches where he was in charge of large herds of cattle and also continued training horses. He became a full-time horse trainer in his twenties and embarked on a successful career that spanned over six decades.
Over the years, he had training facilities in Nampa, Idaho, Bakersfield, and ultimately in Scottsdale, Ariz. His lifelong passion was to be the best horseman he could be. Two special accomplishments of his career included his induction into the NRCHA Hall of Fame and securing his place as a NRCHA Million Dollar Rider.
Surf City success
Four-show series concludes its 2024 summer run
By Horsetrader staff
HUNTINGTON BEACH: The four-show Surf City Circuit series, put on by Track One Events for the Los Serranos Award Circuit, wrapped up its successful season Aug. 17 at the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center.
Beautiful buckles and other awards were icing on the cake for winners at this refreshing circuit of open shows, which featured popular classes in ranch, reining, pleasure, horsemanship and trail.
One gratified Circuit Champion was open reiner Sophia Ritchie, an assistant trainer for Rick Baer Performance Horses that is based at the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center. Ritchie rode I Whiza Gangsta to the title for owner Patricia Houk.
The September ‘In Gate’
PCHA ‘Pink Classic’ Show comes to LAEC Oct. 31-Nov. 3
From the Horsetrader sales staff
The very popular Pink Classic Horse Show is returning to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Always a very popular show in the past, it was sidelined — as many were — because of the pandemic.
This show has quite a history, as 32 years ago it held the first Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association Jack and Linda Baker Reining Classic. Managers Poncie and Larry Gimple of Track One Events started this special horse show at the Orange County Fairgrounds during the Orange County Fair over 30 years ago. Many great horse shows of the past were held in conjunction with county fairs.
Winning with Style
Kailty King-Hale and Gotta Have Style are finding their groove
By Horsetrader staff
After a year, it’s safe to say Kailey King-Hale and Gotta Have Style, the grey mare she acquired last year, are connecting.
Kailey, a non pro who rides at her family’s King Performance Horses in Chino Hills, was looking for a next-level reiner to develop in spring 2023 when a friend at the Cactus Reining Classic in Scottsdale arranged an unforgettable test ride in a busy warm-up arena at the show.
Youth shine at Grant Berg Memorial Show
Popular ‘kids ride free’ SCRCHA event also inspires adults
By Sue Carter / for the Horsetrader
TEMECULA — The future of horses is the youth of today, and it looked bright at the 2024 Grant Berg Memorial Horse Show put on by the Southern California Reined Cow Horse Association on July 4-7.
Green Acres Ranch hosted the four-day horse event honoring Grant Berg, and there was a nice turnout of horses and riders for the warm days that included three full slates of National Reined Cow Horse Association classes.
When to start dentistry?
By Daniel H. Grove, DVM
In the past, we have discussed the importance of dentistry or floating of teeth. I am often asked, “When should a horse receive its first float?” I think is a great starting point is around the age of one year. I understand people want to stave off putting out money when they can, but hopefully we can show you why it is important to get it done early.
In my practice, I get to do many young horses’ teeth. They are usually 14-20 months old and are going to start getting a bit put in their mouths. All of the horses in these pictures are from the same farm. They have not ever had any bit or other device in their mouths, and they are all 14-16 months old.
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