Tin and aluminum are the traditional suggestions for celebrating a 10th anniversary. Cowgirl Hetty Dutra however, didn’t consider either of those relevant for celebrating a decade’s worth of success and growth with her Hossmor boarding and training stable in Northern California’s Briones.
Horse shows are what her boarders want, and more horse shows are what they’ll get as part of year-long events to honor the facility’s 10th year in business. A series consisting of five english and two dressage shows begins on May 27 and ends on Oct. 27. Points will be tracked throughout the series and a year-end awards banquet is set for November.
The competitions cater to Hossmor’s boarding clientele and they also attract competitors from the surrounding East Bay area. The english events are schooling shows that feature Green, Novice, Limited and Open Amateur classes. The dressage shows are recognized by the California Dressage Society.
Hossmor has several resident and/or visiting instructors that specialize in dressage. Subsequently, competitions in this discipline are almost filled by boarders. The english schooling shows attract participants from a wider area. “Competing at this lower level has a lot of advantages over the big shows,” Hetty notes. “The awards are much better and it’s a lot of fun.”
The dressage show dates are April 28 and Oct. 27. The english show dates are May 12, June 16, July 14, Aug. 18 and Sept. 15.
Hetty, who owns and manages the 90-horse boarding facility, began staging shows several years ago. Trail and western classes dominated the prize lists back then, but she shifted emphasis to the english disciplines as riding preferences among her boarders went that way.
Regardless of what kinds of shows she hosts, Hetty will always be a cowgirl at heart. She was raised on her family’s cattle ranch just a couple of miles from her current location on Bear Creek Road. In addition to the cows, horses were bred and trained on the ranch. It was a little over 10 years ago that she began converting 175 acres of what had been unimproved land in the East Bay area that used to be known as Martinez.

A Decade’s Difference
“One of my boarders brought me a photo from the old days,” Hetty recalls. “The trees were two feet tall, and there were only posts in the ground where the first 10 paddocks would go. We had a moving van that we had lowered into the ground to be a tack room.”
As she looks out her home’s window today, Hossmor doesn’t seem the same place. The facility now has four barns with a variety of stall/paddock options, three outdoor rings, three outdoor pens, a 100’ by 250’ covered arena and 13 “huge” turn-out areas, which Hetty considers key to equine peace of mind. The property’s plentiful trees are big and provide lots of shade.
These and many other amenities have created what Hetty describes as an “equine centered environment.” She has observed several cases in which horses come to the barn somewhat keyed-up and then calm down markedly within a few weeks in Hossmor’s serene setting.
“The place is big and open,” she says. “Horses can see and interact with each other and there are herds moving around in the pastures all the time. It seems to have a positive effect on the horses.”
Great boarders are a big asset, too, Hetty reports. Many of them have been with her for many years and openings are few and far between. Abundant trail riding opportunities and a drill team are among the activities easily available to Hossmor boarders.
Instruction is plentiful, too. Sara Hoyer and Jill Monroe offer dressage and english lessons, Caroline Frierman specializes in dressage, Tigger Wright in dressage and jumping and Allison Campbell and Tamara Larry in western riding. Hossmor also hosts various clinics throughout the year.
For more information on Hossmor, please call 925 228 5760 or visit www.cowgirlinc.com.