Vol 6 No 3

Letter from the Editor

Has Spring sprung? This editor hopes not, we need more rain—but not on the weekends of March 29-30 and April 18-20—those are the next show weekends for Golden State. Both shows are very popular, get your entries in early.

A good time was had by all at the recent Membership Meeting & Awards Luncheon. Your Board of Directors has decided that having the year end awards given out after two full shows have occurred, is just too late. The plan for 2025 is to have the year-end awards luncheon while it is still 2025! There needs to be time for the awards to be personalized but we’re hopeful they will be distributed by November.

What else is new? Western States has gone into an agreement with the Winnemucca Event Center to hold the next three championship shows at that venue. The venue will be provided FREE to Western States and the event center will give increasing amounts of prize money each year. That, and really good cattle in the area for good prices, make this a very good deal. Plan to attend, Winnemucca is closer, and much nicer, than you may think.

Spring hasn’t sprung but horse show season has! Get out there and have fun.

Sincerely,

Dawn Poston
Editor

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

Annual Membership Meeting & Awards Luncheon

Thanks to Our Sponsors

There was a lovely turnout for the Annual Membership Meeting and Awards Luncheon. Some old faces (er, I mean persons who have been around for a while, certainly not “old”) and some new-to-Golden State faces. It was a beautiful day to visit with friends, eat good food, cheer for the year end winners and the recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence—Golden State President Emeritus Sarah Clifford.

Once again, the beautiful awards were acquired by Samantha Scanlan and Josie Driscoll. They hit it out of the park with personalized trophies and buckles engraved with the recipient’s name or horse’s name, neck banners for the horses and great stirrups. Thank you, ladies.

President Kathy Torres modeled the new GSVRHA scarves, and a number of members purchased—there are still some available, contact Kathy at kttraining@toast.net. She announced exciting news—the Winnemucca Event Center will provide the venue for FREE and add cash to the payouts for the next three Western States Year End Shows!!

When the awards were being distributed, Kathy shared that the year end result for the Advanced Amateur was pretty exciting. Rachel Clifford was Champion by one-point, Christian Scanlan and Dawn Poston tied for Reserve with the tie being broken by the Cow Work, won by Dawn by one point! Never let it be said that Golden State isn’t super competitive! The frosting on the cake is that Rachel, Christian and Dawn are good friends that cheer for each other while doing all they can to win. Competition is fun among friends.

Back 2 Basics

In an uncertain world it’s nice to know we can depend on three things-death, taxes and it will be rainy and cold at Back 2 Basics! Competitors didn’t let it stop them though, and both the AQHA and the Golden State shows had plenty of competition.

Golden State/Western States Results

Coming Attractions

Spring is Springing

Two competitor favorites are on the calendar for March and April 2025. Get your entries in early, they both typically fill fast.

New GSVRHA Classes for 2025

In response to competitor requests, Golden State is expanding classes show producers may wish to offer (it’s up to the individual show producer). We want to increase our competitor base and provide classes for young horses, persons just starting with working cattle, and those who aren’t quite ready to work cattle. We suggest to show producers that these classes be offered as jackpots.

The classes are:

Boxing:

• Optimally, this class should be run before cow classes
• Two divisions: Open and Amateur
• Box for 50 seconds
• Jackpotted in lieu of awards
• Jackpot payback suggestion
• ($75-$10/entry to pot) or,
• ($85-$20/entry to pot)
• Pays 1(1-3)
• Pays 2(4-6)
• Pays 3(7+)

Dry All Around:

• Division options per eligibility requirements as follows:
• W/T- first year showing- NEVER SHOWN IN A LOPE CLASS
• Novice-limited showing
• Amateur- more seasoned riders
• Open-not eligible for lower divisions
• Must enter all 4 classes for all around (individual classes may be entered as well).
• Ranch Rail, Ranch Trail, Ranch Reining, Ranch Riding
• Jackpotted in lieu of awards
• Suggested entry fee $160
• Paybacks $32/rider comes from entry (20% per class)
• 1-3 riders – pays 1
• 4-6 pays 2
• 7+ pays 3

GSVRHA membership required for both classes.

Participants must attend three Golden State shows to qualify for year-end awards.

Spread the word, new classes available at Golden State shows!

NRSHA National Championship Show

Western States an Alliance Member

The National Ranch and Stock Horse Alliance (NRSHA) was founded in an effort to preserve and promote ranching traditions and heritage through competitive ranch and stock horse events on a national level. Western States is one of the eleven alliance partners. To qualify, one must participate in three alliance shows. (Each Golden State Show you attend is a qualifier.) The alliance partners come together annually to crown national champions in a variety of ranch horse events. For more about NRSHA, visit www.ranchhorse.net

NRSHA is pleased to announce that the Lazy E Arena is the new home of the NRSHA National Championship Show. The event is moving to Guthrie, Oklahoma, and will be held in conjunction with The Gathering at the E presented by Equinety, May 14 – 18, 2025.

Managed by Stock Horse of Texas, the event was designed to promote a fun, family-friendly atmosphere that celebrates the abilities of the ranch horse and riders inside a competition pen and on the trail (think of the lovely Lazy E trail course, spread out over a number of acres with a small lake as its centerpiece.)

The NRSHA National Championship Show will feature a full slate of ranch horse classes, an AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse Show and a Ranching Heritage Challenge.

Mark your calendars and consider making the trip to what is certain to be a highlight of a competitor’s life!

AQHA VRH World Show

The 2025 AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse World Championship Show is scheduled for June 15-21, at the Tri-State Fairgrounds in Amarillo, Texas. The qualifying period for the 2025 VRH World began March 1, 2024, and ran through February 28, 2025.

To qualify by points for All-Around Versatility Ranch Horse in amateur, limited amateur, rookie amateur, youth, limited youth or rookie youth the horse/exhibitor combination must earn .5 all-around points in their respective division,

To qualify by participation for All-Around Versatility Ranch Horse in any division horse or horse/exhibitor combination (when required) must compete in three or more shows in the all-around competition in the appropriate division.

The AQHA VRH World combines three premiere ranch horse events into one: the AQHA VRH World, AQHA RHC Finals, and AQHA Cattle Level 1 Championships. They will crown nine AQHA VRH world champions, AQHA RHC and Cattle Level 1 champions in addition to awarding over $400,000 in purse and prizes. For more information visit www.aqha.com/versatility. Again, mark your calendars, as this event can be the highlight of a competitor’s show career!

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