California Riding Magazine • July, 2010

Flying Changes

Dillinger explores the outdoors with his surrogate mom.

Brentina’s Babies!

America’s Olympic dressage darling, Brentina, wasted no time in becoming a mother after her emotional retirement ceremony at last year’s World Cup Finals in Las Vegas. By surrogate mares, Brentina became the proud mom to two foals, Dillinger and Brighton, in April and May, respectively. Dillinger is by the stallion Damsey and Brighton is by Leslie Morse’s retired dressage star Kingston.

Brentina’s other half, Debbie McDonald, was thrilled at the news and photos of the mare’s babies, but she was not able to meet them right away. McDonald was in Europe helping her protégé Adrienne Lyle tackle some tough competitions there in pursuit of a WEG berth.
Dillinger is jet black and Brighton is chestnut, like her mother. Sadly, Brighton’s surrogate mother died of complications during the birth. A Mustang mare filled in quickly and the baby was happy drinking milk from a bucket, reports EquiSearch’s Nancy Jaffer.

Brighton is a big boy. Photo by Button Baker.

This famous photo shows Billy Bascom performing the crupper vault trick ride
in 1968 at the Eastend Stampede in Canada, at the very moment that his
horse bucked with him. Almost unbelievably,
Billy landed back in the saddle and finished the ride in classic style.

Cowboy Billy Bascom Passes On

Rodeo cowboy, trick rider, cowboy artist and actor Billy R. Bascom passed away on April 8.  He was 84 years old. 

Billy’s father, J. Raymond “Tommy” Bascom, and his grandfather, John W. Bascom were both born in Utah, were ranchers and were involved in rodeo as early as 1916.

Born in Canada in 1925 and ranch-raised in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Billy and his brother Wes broke horses sold to the U.S. Calvary and the Canadian Royal Mounted Police.

Later moving to California, Billy operated the Roy Rogers Riding Stables furnishing horses for the movie industry and for the annual Mormon Trail Ride through the Mojave River Valley in the San Bernardino County area. He taught horsemanship at the Victor Valley College and was in the Disney western movie Go West Young Dog.
Billy Bascom dabbled in cowboy art following the example of his distant cousin and artist Frederic S. Remington. 

Billy Bascom was buried at the Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Apple Valley near the final resting places of two other famous cowboys, Roy Rogers and his uncle, rodeo champion Earl Bascom.