REINING SUPREME; RIDERS, MOUNTS JOIN TO SHOW GRIT AT FAIR.Byline: Angela Randazzo Staff Writer More than 70 competitors jumped on their cow ponies and rode into the arena Friday showing their equines' ability to run, halt and otherwise maneuver with precision at the Ventura County Fair. The National Reined Cow Horse competition finished up a week of equestrian shows, from a pulling contest for draft horses draft horses see draft animals. to the world equine beauty pageant, at the fair. ``The (reining) competition shows horsemanship horsemanship: see equestrianism. horsemanship Art of training, riding, and handling horses. Good horsemanship requires that a rider control the animal's direction, gait, and speed with maximum effectiveness and minimum effort. ,'' said Jim Rochford, the announcer at the event. ``The horse displays a pattern of changing gaits and side stops. The horse circles, left and right, breaking into a gallop, then stops on a dime and backs up.'' While these might seem like natural moves for a horse, the precision, ease and timing that horse and rider This article is about the constellation. For the equestrian magazine, see Horse & Rider. The Horse and Rider is an informal name given to the stars Mizar (ζ UMa) and Alcor (80 UMa) because of their close proximity in the sky. display are what adds up to score the points. Riders from all over Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , from professionals to nonprofessionals, participated in 11 categories. Top prizes include a $500 purse in the Open Hackamore hackamore a single-rein bitless bridle for a horse. class and a saddle to the rider with a combination high score. There was a rodeo atmosphere to the competition as spectators watched the riders put their horses through the paces at the fair's Morgan Arena. Melissa Shackleford, 9, of Riverside was there watching her grandfather compete. ``I like horses,'' said Shackleford. ``I've been going to competitions since I was little. I'll probably (ride) when I get more experience.'' Lyn Engels of Juniper Hills, on a quarter horse she calls Pete, has been in the sport for about three years, starting first with the reining event. ``He has a long registered name but I just call him Pete,'' Engels said. The horse's trainer asked her whether she would be interested in training Pete to work with cattle as well. ``We worked with him about 20 hours a week,'' she said. ``I discovered Pete likes working with cattle.'' The other part of the event is the cow work, which basically involves running a calf up and down the rail, turning the calf and getting it to run within the marks that are on the rails. ``The idea is to see how well the horse and rider can work the cow, keeping it away from the fence,'' said Rochford. ``The riders are using skills that were used on the open range in the Old West.'' Ted Robinson is a professional competitor and horse trainer In horse racing, a trainer is responsible for preparing a horse for races. As such, he takes responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter. from Oak View who has been competing on the national level for the past 20 years - and has a stable full of blue ribbons to show for it. ``To be a real cow horse, the horse has to help you,'' said Robinson. ``We go along for the ride, but the horse is the real hero.'' THE FACTS The 1999 Ventura County Fair will run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Sunday at Seaside Park, Harbor Boulevard Harbor Boulevard is a major divided street in central Orange County. It runs from Costa Mesa through Santa Ana, Anaheim and La Habra before it ends at Fullerton Road in Rowland Heights just over the Los Angeles County border. and Figueroa Street in Ventura. Admission is $6 for adults; $3 for seniors age 55 and over; $3 for children ages 6-12; and children 5 and under are free. Off-site parking is available with free shuttle service at the following locations: San Buenaventura State Beach ($5), Ventura County Government Center, Buenaventura Mall, Ventura High School Ventura High School is a secondary school located in Ventura, California. It is a California Distinguished School which was founded in 1889. Famous Alumni Include: Eric Turner (Cleveland Browns), Jamal Wilkes (Los Angeles Lakers), Tyler Ebell (National High School Heisman), and at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Schooner schooner (sk  `nər), sailing vessel, rigged fore-and-aft, with from two to seven masts. . For additional information, call (805) 648-3376 or log on to www.seasidepark.org. All entertainment is free with fair admission. Grandstand entertainment 2 and 7 p.m. today: PRCA PRCA Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association PRCA Pure Red-Cell Aplasia PRCA Public Relations Consultants Association PrCa Prostate Cancer PRCA Proportional Rate-Control Algorithm PRCA Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Rodeo. 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday: PRCA Rodeo featuring a special ``Salute to Mexico.'' Exhibits Today: Heritage Square Sunday: Simi Valley Historical Society & Museum Contests and competitions Noon today: VIP Lemon Pie Contest; 4 p.m.: World Professional Arm-Wrestling Championships, pre-entry required. p.m. Sunday: Egg Toss, entry fee of $1 per team. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Box Photo: (1--Color) Rider Kelly Gowing stops his horse in short order during the reined cow horse competition at the Ventura County Fair at the fairgrounds n. pl. 1. same as fairground. . (2 -- Ran in Conejo Edition only) Paula Hunsacker cuts a steer at an event that attracted riders from across Southern California. (3 -- Ran in Conejo Edition only) The grand prize of the National Reined Cow Horse competition was a $1,800 saddle. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News Box: THE FACTS (See text) |
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