Tamie Smith & Sunsprite Syrius. Photo: Shannon Brinkman

Tamie’s Trip Pays Off

After making the cross-country trek from Southern California’s Murrietta, Tamie Smith’s show jumping trip proved successful on Sunday, Oct. 22 as she completed a wire-to-wire win in The Dutta Corp./USEF CCI2* Eventing National Championship in Maryland with Sunsprite Warmbloods’ Sunsprite Syrius. The 9-year-old Trakehner gelding ended the weekend on his dressage score of 40.9. “I’m thrilled. He was perfect in every phase, and I couldn’t have asked him to be better. He show jumped today like a million bucks,” Smith said proudly.

Abby Weese and Grant Archer celebrate their wedding in September, witnessed by several friends in the hunter/jumper community. Abby was a top amateur rider before turning her star jumper over to Mandy Porter. The San Diego Grand Prix rider had an extra wedding gift for Abby on Oct. 7, when she rode Milano to an impressive win in the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Sacramento. In March, the super duo won the HITS Million class. Abby’s hubby Grant is the brother of Matt Archer, of top NorCal business, Shady Lane Farm, LLC.

California Riding Magazine Event Calendar

Three-Day Stallion Testing
Nov. 3-5 in Solvang

Pollyrich Farm in Central California’s Solvang has been officially named as the North American Stallion Testing Host Site for a Nov. 3-5 test for the Oldenburg GOV, AHHA, Westfalen NA, AHS and Rhinelander studbooks. “It’s the first time the verbands have allowed this three-day test instead of the normal 70-day test,” explains Pollyrich’s Buffy Oas.

Los Angeles HJ Assn. Winners

Madison Nadolenco fulfilled a goal of winning the Rosewood Medal Finals and Grace Cortese earned top honors in the Betsy Woods Horsemanship Medal Finals. Both were staged by the Los Angeles Hunter Jumper Association and were held during the Langer Equestrian Group’s Gold Coast Labor Day competition.

Jose Lopez Huera

Jose Lopez Huera, a long time horse show groom for the hunter/umper A shows, passed away suddenly last month. Hap Hansen’s assistant Lisa Baldassari spearheaded a fundraiser for Jose’s family to fly his body home to his wife and daughter, who live in Mexico. Several in the horse show community made donations large and small and an impromptu fundraising dinner of carne asada cooked by Pony Express at Blenheim raised more than enough funds to take care of the final expenses and provide some donations to his family.

California Riding Magazine Event Calendar

Foxfield Jumping Derby & Medal Final
Oct. 7-8 in Westlake Village

This is an absolute fave among exhibitors, but you don’t have to be a participant to enjoy the Foxfield Riding School’s annual equitation and jumping showdown. Spend a weekend in magical Sherwood Forest and watch riders in the Foxfield Medal, adults and juniors, navigate tracks that take them in and out the property’s famous sunken arena. Super friendly atmosphere, great vendors, VIP opportunities and good food available all weekend.

For more information, visit www.foxfield.com.

North American Young Riders
Championships are golden in medals and other ways for Area VI teams.

by Lauren Billys

With the backdrop of Glacier National Park on the most pristine eventing facility on the West Coast, Rebecca Farms in Montana, the North American Junior/Young Rider Championships for 2017 was undoubtedly going to be one to remember. The Area VI Young Rider team was mostly made up of horses with unique stories produced by juniors to the FEI levels of eventing. The bonds between these horses and riders were strong and palpable watching each of their performances.

Have a photo of a fun adventure with your horse, pony, riding club or horsey friends? We want it for our Out & About page. Please send to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , with caption info and photo credit if needed.

Horse Lover’s Encylopedia: An A to Z Guide to All Things Equine
Edited by Jessie Haas
Reviewed by Lucy Bobeck

This book is definitely full-color. Amazing photography along with beautiful detailed line drawings and clear descriptions on the varied equestrian world. Current information that may not be found in other sources includes chiropractic treatment and a description of the recent American breeds like the American Curly and Azteca. Some entries are more European in nature, calling a horse who dislikes having a saddle tightened “girthy” rather than the usual American “cinchy.”

Huge congratulations to the young riders who represented our region brilliantly during the North American Junior Young Riders Championships, held July 19-23 – just as we were going to press with this issue. On the dressage front, the USDF Region 7 Junior team earned team gold and member Aleyna Dunn added gold in the individual championships and a silver in the individual freestyle.  Zone 10’s jumping teams rode to gold in the Childrens and Juniors divisions. Plus, Childrens rider Dylan Laiken and Callao jumped clear all week to add individual Childrens gold and Hannah Loly and Amya De la Demi Lune adding an individual silver in the Junior division. Dressage and jumping took place in Saugerites, NY, while the eventing ran concurrently at Rebecca Farms in Kalispell, MT. There, Area VI’s One-Star team also earned a gold medal, and Mallory Hogan took individual bronze aboard Clarissa Purisima. Absolutely way to go, everybody! If you missed our July issue profiles of all our area’s NAJYRC riders, you can find them online.

Shauna Pennell Shines in Santa Barbara

Shauna Pennell took three of the top four placings in the Santa Barbara National’s $3,000 National Hunter Derby, July 14, at the Earl Warren Fairgrounds. Shauna rode Beverly Endelberg’s Saturday Night to the win, WJC Farms LLC’s Tresor du Paradis to third and her own Sunday Best to fourth. Jamie Sailor rode Taylor Cusumano’s Matador to the red ribbon.

Carmel Valley CDS chapter beats summer heat with stick-horse race at fun schooling show.

The Carmel Valley Chapter of the California Dressage Society (CV CDS) has several traditional events each year—a tack swap, a Summer BBQ and a Holiday Party.

California Riding Magazine Event Calendar

More Fun in Surf City
July 6-9 & Aug. 10-13 in Huntington Beach

West Palms Events’ hunter/jumper shows at the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center feature fun new classes this summer. The first is the Sun and Surf Tandem, in which all but the final fence on course will be jumped in unison. It’s open to juniors and amateurs, with two divisions: 2’ to 2’3” and 2’6”. The Ride and Groom Relay uses teams of one rider and one groom. The rider navigates a course set at 1M, then the groom embarks on an obstacle course with the combined fastest time taking top honors.

Master Dressage; Riding Through Thick & Thin

Master Dressage
Written by Peter Dove
Reviewed by Lucy Bobeck

Peter Dove is a British equestrian, now coaching his daughter, Milly, through to regional dressage competitions. Peter is the author of Master Dressage and co-author (with Mary Wanless) of Master Dressage: the Basics. Mary Wanless, a mentor to Peter, is a British Horse Society Instructor and author of books that concentrate on how we use our mind for better riding.

Fran Steinwedell in Hall of Fame

Frances B. (Fran) Steinwedell, a devoted supporter of show jumping in the US for decades, was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame. The ceremony was held June 1 during the Devon Horse Show. In addition to her ownership of several top Grand Prix horses, she has helped pave the road to success for talented riders such as her daughter Francie Steinwedell-Carvin and Olympian and California native Anne Kursinski.