BAKERSFIELD — Even though Lance Johnston won the $13,000-added Valley Cow Horse Association California Horse Trials Open Derby for the third straight year, the win was a fresh one.

The Lindsey-based trainer used stellar herd and fence scores at the popular three-day VCHA show April 25-27 to claim the $5,912 top prize on Cee Me Too, his 5-year-old mare that missed almost all her 3 and 4-year-old campaigns after a barn accident at the 2012 pre-Futurity in Paso Robles.

Art of Driving
Templeton (805) 434-9443
www.Art-of-Driving.com
Art of Driving teaches the classic German Driving and Riding System, offering a comprehensive spectrum of services to support you in having fun and success with horses. In its lessons, Art of Driving improves your skills and knowledge in driving or riding horses. Theoretic instructions help you understand the basics of the riding and driving system, and also about function and purpose of tack and all riding and driving equipment.

The main goal of the German Training System for horses is a high level of rideability and/or driveability. The Art of Driving helps you reach that goal by using the combined training system of lunging, riding and driving your horse in an intensive training program.

Art of Driving offers lessons and education for driving single, pairs or multiples; dressage and jumping; horsekeeping/caretaking and grooming; navigating for carriage driving; harness and carriages — as well as everything else that has to do with driving! The teachers are also available by arrangement for clinics or seminars at your facility or a location of your choice.

In addition, Art of Driving offers full service for your show participation and competing, including preparation, coaching and support based on their rich experiences, benefitting you, your team, and/or your horses. And if you are interested in having your horse professionally shown in driving or riding events, Art of Driving can do that for you, too, as well as help you find answers to all questions about the selection and purchase of horses, carriages and harness.

ELK GROVE — Several years ago, it didn’t sit right with Bill Madden when a horse show held at his Brookside Show Park didn’t halt for the exhibitors to watch the Kentucky Derby.

“People would rent my facility, and I would tell them, ‘hey, we need to stop the show for an hour and have everyone watch the Derby,’ but they told me ‘no — we can’t stop the show’.”

“So,” he says, “I decided to put on my own show.”

RAMONA — Eastern San Diego County is a treasure trove of natural beauty. Oak trees, rolling hills and clear, blue skies greet those who venture from the coast into the foothills of the Laguna Mountains. For horse people, one of the great jewels of the hilly country of San Diego County is picturesque Ramona.

DEL MAR — Susan Hutchison continued her Blenheim EquiSports grand prix win streak, taking the $60,000 Grand Prix of California at Showpark on May 10. The Temecula-based rider added another big victory on the weekend with SIG Excel, winning the $7,500 CashCall Mortgage Futurity.

The grand prix win was well-earned, as she topped a 45-entry field that included several international competitors and a difficult track. She and Ziedento were one of four to master Oscar Soberón’s course.

Combined driving star Leslie Berndl returned home to Newcastle recently after a dramatic victory with her 13-year-old KWPN gelding, Uminco, in Southern Pines, S.C., that retained her USEF Single Driving Championship. In July, she will embark on a trip to Europe that will culminate with the 2014 FEI World Championship for Single Horses in Hungary.

DEL MAR — Thirty horses tried to clear the $100,000 Grand Prix of Del Mar course on Saturday night, only two were able to do it. Designer Leopoldo Palacios lined up a set of obstacles with enough variety that one little misstep turned otherwise fantastic rides into efforts of 4 faults or more.

Nineteen from the field of thirty had tried to jump those obstacles before Lane Clarke & Charlotte Gadbois’ Semira de Saulieu finished with no faults and under the time allowed. Six horses later bow-tie clad Karl Cook & Signe Ostby’s Jonkheer Z did the same, setting up a one-on-one jump-off between two top-five finishers from Friday night’s $25,000 Surfside Grand Prix.

67th in a series
Last issue, Les took us into circles and the importance of shoulder control. Now we’ll look at alignment.

So what does driving mean to you? Is driving a romantic idea of times past, recreating a simpler lifetime when time and speeds were slower-paced, before the combustion engine?

The allure might stem from the old west — cowboys, Indians, covered wagons with buckboards driving into town — or perhaps from carriages seen in the background of almost any time-period movie.

Let the countdown begin! The 34th Annual Ramona Rodeo will be held May 15-18 at the Fred Grand Arena. The event provides the community of Ramona with an action-packed weekend of thrills, spills and good clean fun! Long-time stock contractor Honeycutt Rodeo Productions puts on a show that is second to none in the industry. Enjoy bull riding, barrel racing, mutton bustin’, Main Street Parade, family fun and entertainment and so much more! Tickets do sell out, so make sure to stop by Albertsons in Ramona, the Ramona Business Barn and Boot Barn of El Cajon to get yours soon! See their ad on page 59, and call (760) 803-1422 for more info.