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.

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.

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.

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.