Newsletter of the
Golden State Versatility Ranch Horse Association
JUNE 2023
Letter from the Editor
Dear Golden State Members,
As a Club, we love fun. Help us put on another interesting and entertaining social event- “realistic trail”, read on to offer ideas for obstacles.
Our newest show venue, Diamond Bar Arena, and newest show managed by Harlee Burtschi and Kelly Engel, Way Out West, are on their way to be among competitor favorites. In this issue, results, and photos of the event. Ditto the ever-popular Central Coast Ranch Horse Classic in Carmel Valley.
Golden State VRHA will have talented representation at the AQHA VRH World Show in Guthrie, OK this month. Best of luck to Kim Barrington, Heather Bryant, Sarah Clifford, Bryan Jaeger’s Jewel’s Smart Remedy ridden by Sarah Clifford, Stephanie Lewis, Jennifer Ray, Debby Sanguinetti with two horses, (one VRH, one Ranching Heritage), Christian Scanlan, Jody Smith, and Candice Terry. Results and pictures in our July edition.
Golden State’s good friend Barb Schulte offers some wisdom regarding preparation this month. When you see her, thank her for being generous with her writings!
Editor
Send comments, concerns, & ideas to JumperDawn@aol.com
Let’s Have A Social
The Realistic Trail Challenge
Your turn! Submit some “obstacles” to JumperDawn@aol.com and let’s put this thing together at one of our shows this year. The Realistic Trail Challenge!
WOW!
Way Out West Hits It Out of the Park!
Most of us were wowed by the WOW show put on by Harlee Burtschi and Kelly Engel. For those who had never been to the Diamond Bar Arena, we were in for a pleasant surprise. Well-planned layout, stalls and LQ parking great, green grass, lots of shade, a cook to order snack shack, real bathrooms, a feed store with clothes and tack (and ice cream cones) an owner provided Friday night dinner, and the list goes on. Kudos to GS Show Rep Jessamy German who worked very hard helping competitors and management alike.
Results of WS/GS show:
- Youth-Christian Scanlan, Champion
- Novice-Sherri Coll, Champion
- Jessie Smoot, Reserve Champion
- Limited-Meghan Carr, Champion
- Jody Smith, Reserve Champion
- Intermediate-Bryan Jaeger, Champion
- Renee Jackson, Reserve Champion
- Advanced-Rachel Clifford, Champion
- Kim Donlon, Reserve Champion
- Open-Jennifer Ray, Champion
- Debby Sanguinetti, Reserve Champion
- Jr Horse-Sherri Coll, Coll Me Smoke Olena
Barbara Schulte Shares Insights
Mental Preparation
With Barb’s permission, we are sharing some insights she had while watching top competitors at a big cutting show in Fort Worth. Over and over again she noticed a pattern among people who excel. She feels these four factors set folks apart from other competitors.
- They take nothing for granted. No matter how accomplished they are, they don’t think, “Oh, I’ve got it now, so no need to go the extra mile.” No, they go two extra miles instead – every time!
- They mentally rehearse the technical skills, mindsets, and physical presentation strategies to prepare for their horse and upcoming ride. They visualize, plan a script, etc.
- As they do this mental rehearsal and planning, they fully notice and acknowledge what they feel confident about and own it. These are their strengths, and they know the incredible power of constantly building on them.
- Instead of feeling anxious about the less developed skills of their horse or themselves, or things they feel uncertain about, they think about how they will navigate them if those areas arise. They also physically practice them, of course, but having a game plan in their mind for these spots of uneasiness reverses the anxiety train. Now they know what to do, if need be, and they slow down in that part of their ride to do their job – physically and mentally.
Barb says you too can do these four things. They will keep you grounded, build on your strengths, help you navigate lesser-known areas, increase your learning, and provide you with a plan for your rides.
Barb loves feedback and is generous with her knowledge. For more like the above, and information about clinics, contact Barb at barbandsandy@beunstoppable.us
Thank you, Barb, for being such a generous friend to Golden State Versatility!
Central Coast Ranch Horse Classic
Always A Favorite
The weather and venue were picture perfect. This was the first show since the footing in both arenas was washed out by the January 9 flood. Through the generosity of members and the community, monies were raised to replace the footing and it was ready to go for the show. As Bev Sparrowk reported, “no slips, no stumbles, no falls” all weekend.
Although essentially an AQHA show, the Carmel Trail & Saddle Club graciously allowed the show to be sanctioned as a Golden State Show as well. This allowed our membership to have the opportunity to show and accrue more points at a reduced cost. As a result, only division championship awards were offered.
GS Division Champs are
- Youth-Christian Scanlan
- Novice-Jessie Smoot
- Limited-Jody Smith
- Intermediate-Bryan Jaeger
- Advanced Amateur-Dawn Poston
- Open-Sarah Clifford
- Jr Horse-Coll Me Smoke Olena, Sherri Coll
- Select-Bryan Jaeger
- Ltd Open-Erin Corey
Tony Agredano Does It Again
Great Clinicians-Great Judges
Quote of the Month
Craig Cameron (b 1949) is an American horse trainer. He won the Road to the Horse colt-starting contest in 2010 and has been inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.
2023 Calendar
Show Dates
For more information, click here to view the complete calendar in a new window
Date | Name | Location |
---|---|---|
Jun 20 – 24 | AQHA VRH World Show | Guthrie, OK |
Jul 8 – 9 | Ranch Versatility Challenge | San Martin, CA |
Jul 27 – 30 | Silver State Circuit WS & AQHA | Winnemucca, NV |
Aug 11 – 13 | Clifford Horse Training VRH Show | Carmel Valley, CA |
Sep 1 – 3 | Central Coast Fall Classic | San Luis Obispo, CA |
Oct 20-22 | WSVRHA Finals | Las Vegas, NV |