Well-rounded equestrian fans will have a tough time deciding where to be the last weekend of this month. World Cup qualifiers in dressage, show jumping and eventing are running simultaneously in Southern California from Thurs. March 29 to Sun. April 1.
It’s the very end of the qualifying season for dressage and show jumping. The Rolex FEI World Cup Finals for these disciplines is right around the corner, April 18-22 in Las Vegas. The final jumping qualifier takes place Sat. March 31 at the Oaks Blenheim venue in San Juan Capistrano. At presstime, Richard Spooner, Mandy Porter and relative newcomer Jill Humphrey appeared to have locks on the West Coast’s World Cup berths. But the standings can change radically with a big win.
On the same weekend in Los Angeles, dressage riders will be vying for a coveted Las Vegas berth during the U.S. League Finals and U.S. Freestyle Championships at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. At presstime, the usual suspects sat atop the standings: Steffen Peters, Debbie McDonald, Guenter Seidel and Leslie Morse. But, here, too, things can change fast.
Glenda McElroy’s Cornerstone Event Management always does a wonderful job of presenting this competition within the Festival of the Horse. Scores for the big classes are posted on a movement-by-movement scoreboard and there is a large vendor area for shopping between rounds.
The Eventing World Cup Final won’t actually happen until the spring of 2008, so their qualifying season of 18 events throughout the world is just heating up. One of California’s premier eventing facilities, Galway Downs in Temecula, proudly hosts another World Cup qualifier on this same busy, weekend.

For more information on any of these events, visit these websites:
• Final Show Jumping qualifier:
www.showpark.com
• U.S. Dressage League Finals:
www.cornerstonedressage.com
• Eventing World Cup Qualifier:
www.galwaydowns.com

Woodside Gets a Big Event
The other big news on the West Coast eventing scene is that the Horse Park at Woodside will host a fully-weighted “selection division” for the Pan American Games, which take place this July in Brazil. The competition will take place May 25-27 in Woodside, during the Woodside Spring Horse Trials managed by Robert Kellerhouse. It represents the first time in many years that West Coasters have had a chance to qualify for a major international event without traveling east. In the past, hopefuls have had to complete “mandatory outings.” Then the top candidates were invited East for a final event, after which United States Equestrian Team selectors made their decisions about who would be on the team. The financial difficulties of going east to qualify, coupled with the stress of cross-country travel, have always been additional hurdles for West Coast riders with international eventing ambitions.
U.S. Eventing’s Torri Nahorniak, managing director of eventing programs, confirms that giving the Woodside event equal weight to its East Coast counterpart is a reflection of the growing number of strong competitors coming from the West. “The West Coast has done a great job of building its calendar of events,” she explains. “That allows riders to move up the levels and qualify for these events.”
After the West and East Coast selection divisions are completed, the USET selectors will name a squad of six horse/rider pairs, along with two alternates.
Texas Slaughter Houses Challenged
As the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act awaits consideration in Congress, anti-slaughter activists were pleased with the news that the business of Texas’ two slaughterhouses had been deemed illegal.
This is the latest news in a long fight since the 1949 amendment to the Big State’s agricultural code that made it illegal to sell, possess and transport horsemeat for sale for human consumption. The slaughterhouses had challenged the constitutionality of that law over the years and remained in business for most of that time. In late January, after four years of legal wrangling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that the Beltex Corporation and Dallas Crown, Inc., could be prosecuted under the Texas state law. (There is a third horsemeat processing plant in Illinois.)
The Society for Animal Protective Legislature (www.saplonline.org) strongly supported the case in Texas, but urges that national anti-slaughter laws continue to need public backing.
Odds & Ends
Terri Thornton, in conjunction with Duett Saddlery, is proud to present saddler, Colin Kimball-Davis to California. Kimball-Davis is a saddler from Britain with over 20 years of experience. From replacing billets, to flocking to converting older saddle with foam panels to a wool flocked panel, assessing current saddle fit or adding or removing knee blocks, Davis can adjust or improve any saddle fit situation, Terri reports.
Colin will be in California from March 5 through April 2. Contact Terri Thornton for times and locations: 415-472-1540.
Debra Alouise, the advocate for older horses, is preparing a calendar of equine senior citizens for the year 2008. She is accepting submissions during the next few months. Please visit her website, www.olderhorses.com for more information.
The Gallop welcomes news, photos and information. Please contact Kim F. Miller at 949-644-2165 or via e-mail at kimfmiller@msn.com.