Vol 4 No 11

Newsletter of the
Golden State Versatility Ranch Horse Association

DECEMBER 2023

Letter from the Editor

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

There’s a lot in this December issue, starting with the Annual Membership Meeting and Awards Luncheon reservation information. The 2024 Golden State Show calendar is finalized and included! Also, you will find info regarding board nominations, a membership renewal reminder, more pictures from the Western States Championship shows, items for sale in the ‘Marketplace’, and more. It’s chock full, read on.

More than anything, I want to wish you and yours the Merriest of Christmases (or any other holiday you might celebrate) and thank you for your steadfast dedication to our club. Without you, none of it happens. We are blessed with an amazing group of horsemen and horsewomen who are both competitive and supportive of others. We have amazing friendships among us. Every show we attend is a wonderful gift.

In this season of gift giving, thank you for the gifts you have given to me, to our Board, and to your fellow competitors—the gifts of friendship, good sportsmanship, and beautiful ranch horses.

Merry Christmas and the Best Ever New Year,

Dawn Poston
Editor

Send comments, concerns, & ideas to JumperDawn@aol.com

Reluctant reindeers, Belmont and Derby Poston

FREE to Members

GSVRHA Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon

Join us for an afternoon of mix and mingle fun, door prizes, club information, and 2023 awards—free to membership, $35 for guests.

When: February 10, 2024, 11:30 to 3:00
Where: Bayonet Black Horse Golf Resort & Grill, Seaside, CA, 1 McClure Way Seaside, CA 93955, 831.899.7271

* We will be sending out an RSVP closer to the date.

Click below to choose an entrée and RSVP before February 4, 2024.

Luncheon attendees 2023. Be sure to be in the picture for 2024.

2024 Show Schedule

Mark Your Calendar

Starting in February with Back to Basics all the way to the Western States Championships in October, there is some new, some old, some different shows and some different venues for 2024. For the first time, Back to Basics will offer a Golden State show. Sun Circuit* will have a double judged Western State show. Many of our Golden States Shows will also be AQHA VRH shows as well. With an eye toward the costs of showing, many competitions are trying to mitigate those costs with layered shows.

* March 1-2 Sun Circuit/Western States VRH, Westworld, Scottsdale, AZ. Go to suncircuit.com for more information.

Golden State Membership Renewal & Eligibility Forms Due

Western States Championship Shows

More Photos

Two Western States shows, one AQHA show, one Ranching Heritage Horse Show. There were show awards, circuit awards, AND year end awards. Cynda Spahr Rice outdid herself again this year with amazing prizes. It’s such a worthwhile show, if you haven’t attended in the past, we hope you will attend in 2024. Ssssh, there’s a big announcement coming soon regarding the next Western States Championship Shows! AND sources have it that cash paybacks are going to be bigger and better! Stay tuned.

Walk/trot show winners Piper Wilbur and Brooklyn Hensen

Youth Show Winners Christian Scanlan, Grace Green, and Angelo Greco

Novice show winners Cheyenne Kunzler, Amy Larson, Josie Driscoll, Sherri Coll, Nicole Thomas, Jessie Smoot, Emily Wilbur, Sherri Greco

First the infamous Jack Lewis, then Limited show winners Stephanie Lewis, Jennifer Ray for Todd Miller, Kim Nunes, Jody Smith, Kim Smoot, Bev Sparrowk

Year End Select Jody Smith. In background, super prize and award chooser Cynda Spahr Rice

Intermediate Show winners Bodie Hall, Renee Jackson, Bryan Jaeger, Candice Terry

Jr Horse Year End Reserve Jennifer Ray (MC Metallic Lighting), & Champion Kathy Torres (Sannmans Blue Rumour). Kathy was also year-end WS Open Reserve Champion.

Advanced Amateur Show winners Janey Welch & Dawn Poston

Ranch Riding Freestyle

Another Great Competition!

From Michael Jackson to Barbie, Indian Maiden to Sunshine, the ever-popular Ranch Riding Freestyle was awash in creativity, originality, and fun.  Winner Sherri Coll as an Indian Maiden won first place doing her routine with just a small piece of leather in her horse’s mouth!  She performed all the ranch riding required maneuvers plus a few from reining.  Really stellar.

Sherri Coll wowed the crowd with her bridleless performance.

Candice Terry, Piper Wilbur, Jodie Smith, Sherri Coll, Brooklyn Hensen, Darian Morgan, Josie Driscoll, Samantha Scanlan, Kim Barrington

Darian and Brooklyn showed us some Jackson moves on their own feet and then on their horses’. Notice the sparkly “gloves” the horses are wearing!

Candice Terry and Piper Wilbur

Miss Sunshine Jody Smith

Josie Driscoll and Samantha Scanlan

It Gets Western at Western States

Moving the Cattle

Cow Boss Mike Lund and a few volunteers moved the cattle the old-fashioned way from the cutting pens to the big arena for the cow horse event-a mini cattle drive. We all got a chuckle when several of the Horsemen’s Park workmen graciously volunteered to help and then set up a couple of cones to keep the cattle out of a barn aisle. Bless their hearts!

Volunteers at every barn aisle to dissuade wayward bovines.

Here they come with Marty Semper providing the encouragement.

They think they can make a break for it!

Cow Boss Mike Lund made sure the “drive” was successful.

We Need More Villagers!

Nominations Open for Golden State Board of Directors

We will be electing several new members to our Board of Directors in 2024. This is your opportunity to put forth your name or the name of someone you think would make a good director. You’re not limited to one or the other!

To nominate someone, or yourself, send names and contact information to Dawn Poston at JumperDawn@aol.com. A member of the board will contact said persons to discuss further prior to them being placed on the ballot.

Also, we are looking for Division Representatives who are not board members for WT/Novice /Limited, Intermediate, and Advanced. A Division Representative is one is a member of said division who will welcome new competitors, help them learn the ropes, and find answers to questions. (They don’t need to know all the answers, just know how to find them!) Would you like to put forth your name as a representative for your division? Someone else’s name? Again, let Dawn Poston know via email. (Recent email said by 12/4-that deadline has been extended)

Interested In Being a Show Secretary? Opportunity Awaits

GSVRHA is growing and we need more show secretaries. If you are interested in being a show secretary, or know someone who is interested, please contact Kathy Torres at kttraining@toast.net for more information. Golden State will provide training, you don’t need to be showing currently or have shown before. Being good with numbers, people, and having basic organizations skills will be helpful. Being a show secretary puts a person right in the middle of the action and it is a good paying job.

Errata

Again! And Again!

Karen Arlin, Karen Arlin, Karen Arlin . . . the educator in me thinks I should have to write KarEn ArlIn’s name 100 times on the blackboard, or until I get it in to my head. “E before I, E before I.” Thank goodness she’s a good sport. Ditto Kathy Torres who was incorrectly listed as third for Year End Open when, in fact, she was Reserve Champion.

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.