Letter from the Editor

Dear Golden State Members,

Have you entered this months’ Cinch Up Productions Show? Don’t forget that each Youth entered in the All Around is eligible to receive a fully paid entry from show producer Tony Agredano. Be sure to let youth in your circle know about this amazing opportunity and contact Dawn Poston for more information.

Golden State is welcoming two new board members, learn about each of them in this issue. Read about a big honor being awarded to one our members at the upcoming NRCHA Stallion Stakes. Another competitor favorite, the Running T Roundup held in Ione, is scheduled for April 8-10. Note date change! Get the details in this newsletter. Besides paid entries at Tony’s show, there are more goodies coming for our youth members. Will there be saddles given as year-end awards? Read on to find out all about them. The third “leg” of Golden State revenue production is fundraising. Read about the new committee for fundraising, what’s the first event, and how you can help.

Branding at the YP Ranch in Tuscarora, Nevada. Photo courtesy Renee Jackson

Saddle up! Show season is upon us.

Dawn Poston

Editor

Send comments, concerns, & ideas to [email protected]

Letter from the President

Happy 2022 to all our GSVRHA members and friends. I hope you are gearing up for an exciting and challenging show season. We have a great line up of shows and an awesome array of year end awards for the 2022 season. Our parent association (WSVRHA), of which you, as GSVRHA members are a part, is giving away saddles in all qualifying divisions! The criteria for award eligibility will be posted on our web site very soon and in this newsletter next month. In addition, GSVRHA will be giving away a saddle for the Golden State Youth Versatility year end winner. Check out our website GSVRHA.org for the calendar of shows and clinics. Tell all your friends who are considering jumping into Ranch Versatility that this is the year to join. We will be having several introductory clinics this year to help all the newcomers get up to speed, as well as a few focused clinics for those who wish to hone specific skills. Keep an eye on your email and our Facebook page for information. Versatility is sweeping the nation and becoming the go to sport of choice for many and we want to help all our members excel. Our association stands out from many others because we include cattle work in our shows and emphasize rope handling. This makes us THE go to versatility ranch horse association

Our parent association is Western States Versatility Ranch Horse Association which in turn belongs to the National Ranch and Stock Horse Alliance. There are no other versatility membership clubs in the Western United States that can say this. Points accumulated on your horse are recorded on your horse’s permanent record. This increases the value of all versatility horses, especially the ones shown with GSVRHA. These are exciting times for Versatility enthusiasts, make sure you are a part of it.

Check out all the latest information at GSVRHA.org and WSVRHA.org. There you will find out how to qualify for year-end awards, show schedules, membership forms, our informative newsletter and much more.

I hope to see you all very soon,

Kathy Torres

GSVRHA President

New Board Members

Welcome Jessamy German and Martin Jefferson

The Golden State Board of Directors is pleased to announce Jessamy German of Angels Camp, and Martin Jefferson of Spreckels, as new board members. Both have been active competitors in Golden State in the Novice Division. We asked them to tell us a little about themselves.

Jessamy:
“I was born and raised in Arizona and had a horse at an early age of 8 even though I knew nothing about them and my parents weren’t far behind! However I made friends with someone who’s father was a rope horse trainer of sorts and it seemed we never had a shortage of horses or adventures on horses and pretty much have owned a horse (or two+) ever since! I am married to a wonderful man that, although he prefers the iron horse to a real one that has a brain and can decide to take control of the situation at any given moment, he supports me 100% and has been the reason I have been able to pursue this passion of mine to this extent. I have two grown children and 3 grandchildren. I was attracted to VRH due to the 5 different classes and the close relationship of classes to the Snaffle Bit Futurity/Derby – as I’ve been going to the SBF in Reno for over 25 years. Though I have to admit I had no idea the work involved learning “how” to show and getting my horse prepared for all of the events! I still have a long way to go but I love the challenge, the learning and the whole experience of the camaraderie with all the GSVRHA and WSVRHA people at our shows along with the friendships it has presented. I GSVRHA being all that and more to so many prospective members and look forward to being a part of developing and continuing the current vision with new and existing members!”

Martin with daughter Adalyn

Martin:
“I’m 44 years old and a 6th generation Monterey County resident. I make my home south of Salinas on River Road where I live with my wonderful wife Jamie and two awesome kids, Adalyn 11 and Cason 7. After Graduating from Cal Poly SLO I came back home to Salinas to work within my families varied agricultural and farming operations. Today I still work in agriculture but now as a production manager for Duda Farm Fresh Foods. Along with my daughter, I started taking formal riding lessons in January of 2018 with Jamie Walker and attended my first show (The Central Coast Ranch Horse Classic) that May and I was hooked! Now as a family we spend most every late Wednesday Afternoon training with Jamie Walker at her facility in Royal Oaks. Since my start in Versatility I have been very lucky to have nothing but exceptional horses to ride. Badger Be Smart “Buddy” who was my first mount deserves a lot of credit for my initial success as a rider and has very recently moved on to be my sons horse. In 2019 we picked up Dual Rey Mi “Mike” whom is an absolutely awesome mare that I showed in the 2021 season. As the pieces fall into place for my family Mike has recently become my daughter’s horse and the pair are making a wonderful bond. The most recent addition to our family stable is Oh You Betcha “Jefe’” that I will be showing for the 2022 season. Although he’s a recent arrival I believe that we are meshing very well and I look forward to showing him soon this season. I am excited to be on the board and look forward to contributing whatever I can. It is my personal goal to help GSVRHA grow its membership base, especially in the youth and entry-level divisions such as that of Novice and Walk-Trot as those are the divisions I see as the “gateway” our great sport.

I recently resigned from the Monterey County Regional Fire District, where spent 11 years as volunteer Firefighter/EMT and served my last 4 years there as the President for the Volunteers. Also, I am a Director for the California Rodeo in Salinas, a co-leader for the Chualar 4-H Equestrian Project, and serve on the following boards: Monterey County Ag Education, Monterey County Farm Bureau, and California Leafy Greens Research.”

One Of Our Own Honored

Debby Sanguinetti 2022 NRCHA Vaquero Winner

We all know Debby Sanguinetti as a fierce versatility competitor, a welcoming person at our shows, and always a friendly face to friends and newcomers alike. She’s also been a major presence in the NRCHA since she began showing. During the NRCHA 2022 Hall of Fame Banquet, Debby will be honored and receive the coveted “Vaquero” Award. This award recognizes an NRCHA member that works tirelessly to promote the association and strives to retain traditional reined cow horse methods.

The award will be given at the NRCHA Hall of Fame Banquet, Friday, April 1, at the South Point Hotel & Casino during the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes. In addition, four honorees will be inducted into the Hall of Fame: Doug Ingersoll, John Ward, Doc Bar, and Shining Spark.

Ssssh . . . rumor has it that there is “posse” of friends planning to be there to cheer for Debby, spread the word . . .

Vaquero Award recipient Debby Sanguinetti started early. Here she is (in back of saddle) with her sister Susan at the Oakdale Roping. The young man throwing the “bear trap” heel loop is none other than 1974 World Champion Team Roper H.P. Evetts.

Sheer grit is what Debby is made of! Pictured here, she and Fresnos Plain Peppy winning the 2011 NP Hackamore in Queen Creek, AZ.

What’s Happening In April

Popular Running T Roundup Returns In Ione

A real competitor favorite, the Running T Roundup, will be held April 8-10 at the Ed Hughes Arena in Ione. Note the date change! Last year was the Lewis family’s debut as a versatility show producer and they really hit it out of the park. Bigger and better is promised this year. It’s a particularly fun place to camp. Look for the newly formed GSVRHA Social Committee to have something fun available for the competitors.

Schedule for the show is as follows: Friday, April 8th, 12 pm, Cow Work and Cutting Clinic, clinicians TBD. Saturday April 9th, 8 am-12 pm, Trail and Ranch Riding Clinic with Kelley Engel, Reining Clinic clinician TBA. The show begins at 2pm with Cutting and Ranch Riding. Sunday April 10th, 9 am Ranch Trail, Ranch Reining and Ranch Cow Work.

The Lewis Family; Stephanie, Tim, Jack and James

Year-End Awards?

Western States To Give Saddles!

Western States has announced that saddles will be given to each of the 2022 division champions! (All Golden State points are also Western States points so anyone showing in Golden State in 2022 will be in the running for a saddle in their respective division.) Known for amazing year-end prizes, Western States is definitely raising the bar with this decision. Each saddle will be built after the conclusion of the finals and may be customized by each winner. Stay tuned for more details as the year progresses.

Golden State To Give Youth Saddle

With gratitude to the Smoot family for earmarking the monies donated at the August 2021 Peter Smoot Memorial Versatility Show for the Youth year end award, Golden State will be giving the “Peter Smoot Memorial” saddle to the 2022 Youth year-end champion. It is our hope that the saddle will encourage more youth to participate in our versatility shows. Please get the word out to youth about this amazing opportunity.

There will be other “assists” for youth. Golden State will be providing stipends of $75 toward entry fees at each of our shows. They will be given after the completion of each show. To receive the stipend, contact Treasurer Kelly Saunders at [email protected].

Speaking of Awards: Fundraising Begins

Golden State has only three revenue sources: memberships ($40 to Golden State-$50 to Western State,) $15 fee per rider from each GS show, and fundraising. Most of our revenue goes to year-end awards and the free year-end banquet for our membership (financial information can be found at our web site gsvrha.org). It quickly becomes apparent that fundraising is critical.

Heather Bryant, Sharon Bryant, Kelly Saunders, Martin Jefferson, and Dawn Poston have agreed to form a Fundraising Committee. More help is needed. Will you consider volunteering? Contact any one of them for more information.

Central Coast Ranch Horse Classic

First Fundraising Event

A silent auction, with food/adult beverages, and entertainment provided, is planned for the May Central Coast Ranch Horse Classic in Carmel Valley. Please help us with items. Tack, wine, art, books, gift certificates for lessons/services, jewelry, gently worn show clothes–you name it, we’ll auction it! If you have items, or will be asking generous donors for items, contact Dawn Poston or Kelly Saunders. Items can be delivered to them at the CV Trail & Saddle Club, the March Cinch Up or the April Running T shows.

Silent Auction Item-Two weekdays in the popular Paso Pastures vacation rental, wine tasting anyone?

So far, numerous trainers have donated lessons. Lyn Andersen, Cynthia Cantleberry, John Bishop, Ramona Koch and Billy Cochrane are a few of them.

2022 Calendar

Show Dates

For more information, click here to view the complete calendar in a new window

Date Name Location
March 19-20 GSVRHA: Cinch Up Productions Clinic & Show Morgan Hill, CA
April 8-10 GSVRHA: Running T Spring Ranch Roundup Clinic & Show Ione, CA
May 21-22 GSVRHA, WSVRHA, AQHA: Central Coast Ranch Horse Classic Show Carmel Valley, CA
June 20-25 AQHA: VRH World Show Guthrie, OK
August 12-14 GSVRHA: Clifford Horse Training Versatility Challenge Carmel Valley, CA
Sept 3-4 GSVRHA: Central Coast Fall Classic Clinic & Show San Luis Obispo, CA
Sept 30 – Oct 2 GSVRHA: Running T Fall Ranch Roundup Clinic & Show Ione, CA
Oct 27-30 WSVRHA: Year End Finals Las Vegas, NV

Quote of the Month

Samuel Riddle, owner of Man O’ War and War Admiral

“There is no other feeling in the world to compare with it if one loves a great horse. It gives a thrill that nothing else ever can. It cannot be put into words, because words cannot express it.”