Looking for a little CRUZ Control??

ITS OFFICIAL!!
100 Mile Sliders proudly offer a TEAM CRUZ reining/horsemanship clinic, APRIL 14-15, 2012, at the beautiful FOOTHILLS EQUESTRAIN CENTER in 100 Mile House.

Marcel and Amie Cruz burst on the reining scene in BC in a big way last year, and are making their mark both in BC and internationally.
Here is their Bios taken from their website:

 

Marcelo Cruz started breaking horses as a young boy on his family's ranch in Brazil. Competing in several disciplines as a youth such as Classic Jumping and Manga-Larga gated ponies. At the age of 16, he attended his first reining clinic and was hooked. Over the years, he has studied under top class reining trainers including Casey Hinton, Pete Kyle and Pierre-Luc Phaneuf. Showing under the guidance of Phaneuf, Marcelo was the Limited Open and Rookie Professional circuit champion.  

Amie Cruz started off her career in the hunter ring at the age of 8. In 2001 she developed an interest in reining and in 2003 she was offered the opportunity to work for Roberta McCarty where she achieved success in the show pen. Amie's resume also include top trainers Pete Kyle and Pierre-Luc Phaneuf. Amie excels in the coaching and training of riders and their horses, from a beginner level to the advanced non-pro competitor.

Check out the CRUZ CONTROL VIDEO LINK IN YOUTUBE, including this amazing 75 score run from last years WWC on CHICS LOADED GUN

 WE ARE SORTING OUT PRICES AND DETAILS FOR THE CLINIC, BUT EXPECT TO FILL UP QUICKLY, SO PLEASE CONTACT MANDY (mpincott@live.com) TO BOOK YOUR SPOT! MORE DETAILS TO COME SOON!

Three Committed Sliders

It was a COLD and BLUSTERY night last Sunday, but it didn't stop 3 girls and their horses. (It stopped me...I just went and took pictures-wrapped in Dawnna's horse fleecy :) )
Good job, girls-your dedication is admirable...

 Tanya and Monty

Dawnna and Moke

Courtney and Dallas

West Coast Classic Wine Auction

Here is a message sent to all WCRA Members from our club president:

Hello WCRA members,

Show season is almost upon us and it's time to start getting the horses in shape and conditioned for all the big events and riding fun!

On that note it's also time to start thinking about fundraising for West Coast Classic July 13-15, 2012.

This show is the WCRA members show! It takes effort from every member to make this show succesful. Without your help, support, fundraising, ideas and entries this show is not possible.....and that would be a great loss to the BC reining industry. West Coast Classic has come by leaps and bounds and is BC's PREMIER reining event to attend.

You may remember the newly added WINE AUCTON.....a new fundraiser we did last year held in conjunction with the silent auction. The wine auction was a huge success and went over very well with excellent feedback. With such great results we decided to bring the wine auction back again for 2012!

**If we can collect 1 bottle of wine from every WCRA member, that would make this years wine auction another huge success!!**

The wine auction will be held as part of the 2012 silent auction at the West Coast Classic Location: Chilliwack Heritage Park ~ 44140 Luckakuck Way Chilliwack, BC.  Bidding will be for individual collections of wine – not individual bottles
WHAT IS BEING AUCTIONED?
Two collections of wine :
Collection #1 ~ all wines in this collection valued at $25 and over
 Collection #2 ~ all wines in this collection valued under $25

HOW TO DONATE BOTTLES:
*each bottle donated will have a tag attached identifying the donor – business cards are welcome.
*the price range of donated wines is up to the individual donor but no homemade wines can be accepted
*the WCRA West Coast Classic website will have a running tally of wine, total value & donors starting May 15th
*for those living out of town you can send us the name of the wine you would like to donate in your name, and applicable funds, and we will purchase the wine and add it to the collection or you can bring your wine to the show where bottles will be added to the wine collections until 10 a.m. Friday July 13, 2012
*the silent auction will commence at 11 a.m. Friday July 13, 2012
*all donors will be included on the website but only bottles received prior to July 8, 2012 can be guaranteed to be acknowledged on the website prior to the auction
*the silent auction will close on Sunday July 15, 2012 ~ exact time to be announced once show schedule is confirmed
*please call 250-819-1609 to arrange to drop off wine donations

HOW TO BID:
*As for all other silent auction items, you can make your bid in person on the bid sheets on the silent auction table
*Bidders must be 19 years of age or older

THE SMALL PRINT:
*The wine must be picked up, by the winner or his/her designate, at the show grounds prior to 4pm Sunday July 15, 2012
*No one under the age of 19 can bid on, or pick up, the wine collection

WE HOPE EVERYONE GETS ON BOARD AND HAS FUN WITH THIS 
PLEASE DONATE & COLLECT BOTTLES FROM ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS, COLLEGUES AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATES
~AND THEN~
GET A GROUP TOGETHER AND BID ON THE COLLECTIONS OR BID AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND START/ADD TO YOUR OWN WINE CELLAR!
~WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT OF THE WEST COAST CLASSIC~

Funds for wine donation purchases are payable to WCRA. Please mail to: WCC Wine Auction c/o Kim Stordahl Box 280 Pritchard, BC, V0E 2P0
For information or to drop off donations ~ call Kim @ 250-819-1609 or E-mail wcrareining@gmail.com

Looking for some great FREE REINING TIPS?

Photos
Top-Screen shot from Wildwood Performance Horses Website
Bottom-taken from Wildwood Performance Horses Website

As we all are starting back in the saddle and gearing up for a new year, we are looking for new ideas, and inspiration. Check out Sharon Gates, of Wildwood Reining Horses for her free blog posts on Reining training tips. Sharon's straightforward explanations, photos and video clips make it very easy to follow along with her drills and techniques.
And best of all-Sharon is right in our own backyard, in lovely Hantzville, BC. Sharon annually hosts a reining clinic with world class reining trainer,  Vern Sapergia.

Brad Giesbrect Reining Clinic

The Thompson River Reiners (WCRA chapter), will be once again hosting a reining clinic this MARCH 24-25. You can contact WCRA president, Kim Stordhal for more details. This is the 3rd time the TTR's have brought Brad to town, and he is getting lots of repeat customers, so if you are interested, you should book your spot asap, as it will fill up fast. You can read more about Brad and his program at his website, BG Reiners.

We're on Facebook!

OK everyone-you can now follow us on Facebook!! Check out the link for all the latest info, and to stay in touch. If you have photos or videos of club members doing stuff, please add them to our FB page-Mandy-would love to have your PG runs as well,  as your Supreme video up there, and Nicole, some of Ronnie's pics from the BC summer games, as well as her trip back east would be fantastic...!!

Working Cow Horse or Working Horse COW?

 Pictures: Screen Capture from You Tube clip

If you haven't seen this Youtube clip that's been floating around on FB the last few weeks, you gotta watch this. LOL! I think this cow has got this horse's number! Hilarious...

Not Really Reining Related but a feel good horse story...

Picture: Erin Bolster and "Tank" (taken from the article link below)

I came across this article this summer from a Facebook post. Here is part of the article. To read the whole thing click on the article link.

That's how she went to work that day: a young but seasoned pro rider on a new, huge and spirited horse, unarmed in the wilderness with eight dudes.
"It was a pleasant ride until we came around a corner on the trail and my horse stopped firm and wouldn't move," Bolster said. "He never refuses to go, so that caught my attention quick."
But not fast enough to avoid the spike white-tailed deer that burst out of the brush and glanced off Tonk's left front shoulder.
As Tonk spun from the impact, Bolster saw a huge grizzly bear crashing through the forest right at the group in pursuit of the deer. Horses panicked and guests grabbed saddle horns for the ride of their lives.
"No amount of training could keep a horse from running from a 700-pound charging bear," she said.
Seven of the horses sensed the danger, peeled out and galloped back on the trail toward the barn.
But Scout bolted perpendicular to the trail into the timber, packing the 8-year-old boy.
"The deer peeled off and joined the horses sprinting down the trail," Bolster said. "So the bear just continued running right past me. I'm not sure the bear even knew the roles had changed, but now it was chasing a horse instead of a deer."
The grizzly was zeroed in on Scout and the boy - the isolated prey in the woods.
Adding to the drama, the boy's father, an experienced rider, could not convince his horse that it was a good plan to ride to his son's rescue.
"The last thing he saw over his shoulder as his horse ran away was the grizzly chasing his boy," Bolster said.
With the bear on Scout's heels, Tonk's instinct was to flee with the group of horses. But Tonk responded to Bolster's heels in his ribs as she spun the big fella around. They wheeled out of a 360 and bolted into the trees to wedge between the predator and the prey.
"The boy was bent over, feet out of the stirrups, clutching the saddle horn and the horse's neck," she said. "That kept him from hitting a tree limb.
"But all I could think about was the boy falling off in the path of that grizzly.
"I bent down, screamed and yelled, but the bear was growling and snarling and staying very focused on Scout.
"As it tried to circle back toward Scout, I realized I had to get Tonk to square off and face the bear. We had to get the bear to acknowledge us.
"We did. We got its attention - and the bear charged.
"So I charged at the bear."
Did she think twice about that?
"I had no hesitation, honestly," Bolster said. "Nothing in my body was going to let that little boy get hurt by that bear. That wasn't an option."
Tonk was on the same page.
***
With a ton of horse, boulder-size hooves and a fire-breathing blonde thundering at it, the bear came within about 10 feet before skittering off to the side.
But it quickly angled to make yet another stab at getting to Scout and the boy - who had just fallen to the ground.
"Tonk and I had to go at the bear a third time before we finally hazed him away," she said.
"The boy had landed in some beargrass and was OK. Scout was standing nearby."
Bolster gathered the boy up with her on Tonk, grabbed Scout's lead and trotted down the trail.
"The boy was in shock," she said. "I looked back and could see the bear had continued to go away through he woods, but I had another five or 10 minutes of riding before I got back with the group."
Not until she reunited with her riders - all OK and standing in various stages of confusion with their horses - did she start to shake.
"I looked at Tonk, and he was wet with sweat and shaking, too," she said.
She was especially concerned for the boy's father, who probably suffered the most terror in the ordeal.
"He was fine, and I got my biggest tip of the season," Bolster said. "My biggest hope is that the boy isn't discouraged from riding. This was a one-in-a-million event."

What an awesome story! Then, a couple of weeks ago, I saw this link on David Letterman, who had also heard of the story and chose to interview her on his show. You gotta watch!

A little Inspiration?

Picture: Smokin Chic Olena (taken from Horse Courses On Line)

Looking for a little inspiration to get out and start riding? Have a look at this you tube video of Craig Johnson and and his APHA horse Smokin Chic Olena at the World Equestrian Games, doing a bridleless Reining Demo..Poetry in motion!

Ranch Hand Competition Anyone?

Picture: Casey Pierce and Gunners Little Fleet (taken from KCSTreining Center website)

The 100 Mile Sliders are in the process of trying to organize a Ranch hand competition, in conjuntion with the Annual Little Britches Rodeo, in 100 Mile House. Lots more details to follow, but in the meantime, check out this amazing run, with Casey Pierce, and her cool APHA gelding, Gunners Little Fleet
This run was from the 2010 EA Extreme Cowboy race...Awesome!

And to get you in the mood...

Have you seen the latest issue of NRHA's You be the Judge? How would you score this circle maneuver?

We're back....and a look back on 2011

WELCOME BACK everyone to a new year of reining excitement. I have been a little slow at getting organized for 2012, but I have a series of posts I plan to make to get everyone back in the mood for reining and the upcoming show season...so hold onto your hats cause here we go...!
First of all how about a recap of some of the exciting things that have happened to our core members in 2011...

Our president, Dawnna-

What a year! Dawnna, is literally embarking on a new life. Having finished course work in Kamloops, she was hired to work in both WL and 100 Mile hospitals. Along with that, she and her partner, Pat have moved in and are embarking on a life together. Everyone is commenting on how happy she looks, and we all wish her well in all her new endeavors. Dawnna continues to immerse herself in her horse pursuits, working with her young gelding, competitively barrel racing, and of course, focusing on reining. Her energy and enthusiasm are inspiring to us all. One of her hurdles she had to overcome this summer was a severe and traumatic injury to her barrel mare.

Despite the severity of the wounds, she has made a complete recovery and is back to chasing cans with a vengence!

Our Vice President, Tiffany

Tiffany's focus this summer was on wedding plans and she is now happily married into the Pincott family. Her wedding was about as picturesque as a cowboy wedding can be, including being carried to the alter by her reining horse!

How beautiful! We all wish Tiffany the best!

Our Clinic Organizer, Mandy

Mandy and her family welcomed a new addition, baby girl, Larah into their life. Sweet and healthy, and new baby sister to Kaylee! Congratulations!! We're looking forward to having Mandy back in the saddle again!

Our youth liason, Ronnie

Ronnie had a stellar year capping it off by being named to Team BC, to go back and compete in reining at the Canadian Equestrian Championships. It was an incredible opportunity, and the club was proud to support Ronnie, by presenting her with a cheque to help cover her costs. Well done, Ronnie! Ronnie has gone to school to become a vet assistant. We wish her all the best!

Club Member, Courtney

Courtney is one of our newer members, and after taking a clinic last year with trainer, Carl Woods, she made the decision to send her young horse, Dallas into training with Carl.  Dallas is back home, and Courtney is thrilled with the results. She is looking forward to being an active member and continuing to learn about reining so that she may move forward with Dallas. We hope we can support you, Courtney!

Club member, Tanya

Not to be outdone, club member, Tanya, has recently announced her official engagement! I see another cowboy wedding in the Cariboo in the near future! Congratulations, Tanya!

We are all excited to start the new year, and welcome new members to join our close knit group as we work together to move forward in learning about reining, and supporting each other in our personal lives and our lives with our horses!
2012, here we come!