Woodside Vaulters Claim Gold at AVA National Championships
The Woodside Vaulters claimed the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)/American Vaulting Association (AVA) National Team Championship, which took place Aug. 9-12 at the National Western Complex in Denver, CO. Mary McCormick had the top score in the women’s division and Devon Maitozo was first place in the men’s division to earn gold medals.
With the top score of 7.772, the Woodside Vaulters team consisted of Katharine Wick, Elizabeth Osborn, Yvonne Greenen, Megan Lanfri, Anne Lewis, Alicen Divita and Marina Olivieri.
In the gold division, the women who finished in the top three are considered to be the best female vaulters in the U.S. First place vaulter McCormick, is a member of the Mt. Eden Vaulting Club, which is home to one of the oldest and most successful vaulting programs in the country. McCormick led the female division with an overall score of 8.521.  Coming in second place was Osborn (Woodside Vaulters) with a total score of 8.439. Third place went to Divita (Woodside Vaulters) with a total score of 8.391.
In the men’s gold division, Maitozo took top honors with a total score of 8.737. Maitozo is the USEF’s number one ranked male vaulter and is part of the F.A.M.E. (Free Artists Mt. Eden) team. Coming in second place was Kenny Geisler (Diamond Bar Country Vaulters) with a total score of 8.170, and third place went to Jonny McCollister (Nu BalanceVaulters) with a total score of 7.397.

Jack and Linda Baker Championship
Congratulations to Callie Martin and her horse, Vintage Boom, for winning the Jack and Linda Baker Reining Classic Finals at the Classic Championships Horse Show, held Aug. 16-19 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Over the year 25 horses qualified to compete in the two-day finals. Callie was rewarded with almost $5,000 in prizes, including a Broken Horn custom saddle, and a cash award for her trainer, Johnette Burman.
In the divisional awards, the 49 and Under Champion was Maria Baker, riding Heir to Shine. The Prime Time Champion (for competitors 50 and over) was Gail Mills on Dun Sunday Slidin. Both of these winners received Broken Horn custom saddles as well.
This was the 17th year for the Jack and Linda Baker Reining Classic, held by the Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association. Over $12,000 in prizes were awarded, from the trophy saddles to silver headstalls, buckles and spurs.
The PCHA also hosts six perpetual trophies for this event. The Bud Dillon Perpetual Memorial, for the high point gelding, was awarded to Vintage Boom. Little Ilean won the Kemars Bar Chex Memorial for the high point mare. The oldest horse in the competition, No Idle Promises, received the Rona Doc Perpetual Trophy. Kailey King won the Tricia Bisbee Perpetual Trophy for the youngest rider. And the Golden Years Perpetual Trophy for the most senior rider was given to John Varble, who won the very first Baker Reining Classic 17 years ago.
New this year, sponsored by Track One Events, was the Sportsmanship Award. Larry and Poncie Gimple presented a beautiful pair of custom-made spurs to John Varble, for whom the award will be named. The Baker Reining Classic is happy to welcome the John Varble Sportsmanship Award to its roster.
This information was submitted by Gayle Carline.

Karen Healey Stables Sizzles the Summer Away
At the Oaks Summer Classic II Horse Show, Karen Healey Stables was dominant in the CPHA Medal Finals. Shelby Wakeman of Westlake Village won the CPHA Junior Medal Finals on San Francisco, while Yvette Lang-Einczig of Malibu was victorious in the Adult Medal Finals on Jalapeno. Tiffani Weeda of San Juan Capistrano led the victory gallop in the CPHA Foundation 21 & Under Finals on Here’s Johnny at the Showpark Summer Classic.
In the three round competition of the CPHA Junior Medal Finals, Wakeman was second in the first round. She won round three and ended up as the overall winner of the competition. Fellow Karen Healey student Michelle Morris of La Cañada was third in the first round and finished as the reserve champion on Eventual. Tina Dilandri of La Jolla won the first round on R.S.V.P. and received fifth place in the finals.
In addition to her big finals win, Wakeman rode The Frog Prince for trainer Archie Cox to the Small Junior 16-17 Hunter Championship at the USEF West Coast Junior Hunter Finals, held Aug. 20-21. The Frog Prince and Wakeman were the Reserve Grand Champions of the entire competition. On By Design, owned by Olivia Esse, Wakeman was reserve champion in the Large Junior 16-17 Hunter division. Tina Dilandri and Ellen Spaulding’s No Limit were the Small Junior 15 & Under Hunter reserve champions.
In the CPHA adult finals, Lang-Einczig rode Jalapeno to victory. Elizabeth Dickinson of Los Angeles rode The Graduate to third place in the finals. On her jumper Dimenos 3, Dickinson was champion in the Low Junior/Amateur Jumpers. She finished second in the Modified Junior/Amateur Jumpers on Bewitched and was second in the Equitation 18 & Over.
In the WIHS Equitation Classic, Hannah Selleck of Thousand Oaks, won the hunter phase and took the overall win in the class. The jumper phase winner and third place finisher overall was Morris. Wakeman was fourth, while Veronica Tracy of San Juan Capistrano was sixth. A week later Selleck captured her fourth straight win in the WIHS Equitation Classic at the Showpark All Seasons Summer Classic in San Diego County’s Del Mar where she rode Apartico to the win in both the hunter and jumper phases.
This information was provided courtesy of Phelps Media Group, Inc.

Capitol Hill Named Overall USEF
National Hunter Breeding Champion
The Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF National Hunter Breeding Championship presented by Vita-Flex-Western Phase took place on Aug. 29 at the Showpark All Seasons Summer Tournament in Del Mar.
This year’s Best Young Horse in the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF National Hunter Breeding Championship-Eastern Phase and Overall Champion was Capitol Hill, handled by Kenneth Wheeler, Sr. Wheeler also handled last year’s winner, Spanish Spear, another of his two-year-olds that captured the title again for his Cismont Manor Farm.
Capitol Hill (Nob Hill x Pardon Me Mister, by Mr. Inspector) is an American Warmblood colt bred by Diana Dodge. He also won the Hunter Breeding Two-Year-Old Colts/Geldings division. This year’s Eastern Phase took place at the Warrenton Horse Show in Warrenton, VA, on Sept.2.
The Overall Reserve Champion was the Best Young Horse from the Western Phase, C’czar, an Oldenburg gelding owned by Helen McEvoy and handled by Hope Glynn. C’czar was also the winner in the Hunter Breeding Three-Year-Old Colts/Geldings division. C’czar (Alla’ Czar x Bazalgreg, by Gregorian) was bred by South Point Farms. The yearling Thoroughbred/Warmblood-cross filly, WOW, came in behind C’czar. WOW (Popeye K x Holy Cow, by Fire Jade) is owned and was bred by Leslie Nelson-Pinkerton, and was handled by Diane Yeager.
This was the third year that the officials judged the West Coast phase and then flew to Virginia to judge the East Coast phase. Categories judged include Yearling Colts/Geldings, Yearling Fillies, Two-year-old Colts/Geldings, Two-year-old Fillies, Three-year-old Colts/Geldings and Three-year-old Fillies. Judges name a Best Young Horse and Reserve Best Young Horse in each of the two phases. At the conclusion of both events, judges selected the Overall Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Best Young Horse.
The Overall Grand Hunter Breeding Champion was awarded the Dave Kelley Perpetual Trophy, and the breeder was awarded the J. Arthur Reynolds Memorial Trophy.

Congratulations to Harley Brown and Cassiato winners of the $30,000 Grand Prix at Pebble Beach Equestrian Classic II on Aug. 3. Cassiato, owned by the Oak Park Group, was 9th the previous week. Then at the Showpark All Seasons show the pair won the 1.45m Grand Prix Warm-up class out of 67 starters and followed with an 11th place finish in the $50,000 CSI-W Grand Prix.

Michele Macfarlane makes history
at the World’s Grand Championship
Californian Michele Macfarlane rode before a crowd of nearly 15,000 at Louisville’s Freedom Hall to win the Five-Gaited title aboard (SA) CCV Casey’s Final Countdown at the World’s Championship Horse Show.
CCV Casey’s Final Countdown is an 11 year old South African bred stallion, co-owned by Si-Si Stables and Macfarlane. In just three years, Countdown has 33 wins in 40 starts, only finishing out of the top three twice.
With her win, Macfarlane is now one of only two living riders to have won the Five-Gaited World’s Grand Championship three times with three different horses.

Artisan Dressage Shines
at CDS Southern Junior Championships
Congratulations to Katie Johnson and Kellie Freeman of Artisan Dressage for their successes at the California Dressage Society Southern Junior Championships.
Katie Johnson was champion in her Training Level Division on Urbana, a 6-year-old Dutch mare owned by Pamela Tarrel. The pair not only won their division with an overall score of 71.70, but also received the Training Level through Second Level highpoint award. To top it off, they won the Bud Muravez Trophy for achieving the highest individual score of the show 74.20.
Kellie Freeman, on her 13-year-old Mustang/Clydesdale cross mare, Satin Doll, placed fifth in their Training level division with a score of 63.90.
Fugitivo XII is Champion of Champions
At Celebration 2007, The Foundation for the Pure Spanish Horse’s P.R.E. National Championship Show, Fugitivo XII was awarded the coveted title, Champion of Champions. Fugitivo XII won the 5 & 6-year-old stallion class, then competed against the other champions for the ultimate title that designates the top PRE horse in the nation. The 5-year-old PRE stallion is owned by Shelly and Jim Lucero’s El Cortijo de Lucero and trained by Katie Hoefs of Katie Hoefs Dressage. Prior to Celebration 2007, held at the South Coast Event Center in Las Vegas Aug. 29-Sept. 2, Fugitive XII had qualified for the USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships held Sept. 8-10 in Kentucky, but his owners elected to remain on the West Coast for Celebration 2007.

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