Andalusian Horses Welcome in the Spring at Rainbow Royal Horse Show
RELEASE: March 13, 2008
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: By Samantha Kirkeby and Amber Lentz
One could hardly have imagined a more beautiful Burbank day to start off the 2008 Andalusian show season. The Region 1 International Andalusian & Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA) rang in spring with the Rainbow Royal Horse Show, held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, CA, March 8-9. The IALHA California Show Committee was delighted to welcome American Saddlebred friends as guests at the show, as well as offering open exhibition and opportunity classes. The American Saddlebred classes were made possible because of the generosity of Kay March.
Over the course of the weekend, 76 horses were shown to judges Francine Dismukes (Andalusian, open exhibition and opportunity classes) and Barbara “Babs” Walker (Saddlebred and equitation classes), making the show a very successful start to the season. The USEF Andalusian Judging Clinic was held in conjunction with the show dates, giving the 13 judges attending the clinic a great opportunity to do some live judging at the show on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
Saturday and Sunday mornings were dedicated to our halter exhibitors. A grand champion halter class was added to our offerings for both the purebred and Half-Andalusian divisions. The inaugural purebred class was won by RoCoco handled by Tim Keeling and owned by Patti Adams. RC Salvador, shown by Chuck O’Donnell and owned by Howard Bragman, was deemed the winner in the Half-Andalusian division. Keeling with RoCocco won the Andalusian Best movement and Kurt Knechtel with his horse Adelina RLA won the Half-Andalusian Best movement.
The afternoons consisted of Andalusian classes interspersed with Saddlebred, open exhibition and opportunity performance classes, which kept the audience on their toes.
The Championship classes for the Andalusian division where won by the following: The Andalusian English Show Hack Champion was Valeroso Ex Dandy VII, owned and ridden by Alexandria Vilardi. Amandalusian Farms was well represented with Sandy Shields capturing both the Andalusian English Pleasure Hunt Seat and Andalusian Western Pleasure Championships on Kripton–Seni II, owned by Nancy Latta. Lauren La Vine of La Vine Equestrian on her Half–Andalusian mare Adelina RLA won the Half-Andalusian English Pleasure Championship while Chuck O’Donnell of Lone Oak Equestrian rode to the top spot in Andalusian Country English Pleasure Championship on Bello De Paraiso, owned by Haley and Sandra Bowman, also taking the Half-Andalusian Western Pleasure Championship aboard Tejano DF owned by Christine Nakazaki.
Our Andalusian youth riders shined brightly this first show of the year as the blue ribbon in Andalusian Country Pleasure Juior Exhibitor Haley Bowman on her spectacular bay gelding Bello de Paraiso. Jessie Shields, rode with confidence and grace, and was undefeated on Judy Fuller’s stallion Centello H in English Pleasure Hunt Seat Junior Exhibitor, English equitation Hunt Seat Junior Exhibitor, Western Pleasure Junior Exhibitor and Western Equitation Junior Exhibitor. New Exhibitor Reba Ross riding her family’s new gelding Rublo JIM to victory in both Andalusian Pleasure and Equitation Junior Exhibitor 13 & Under.
The overall All-Breed Opportunity winner was Kathie Dunn’s Saddlebred I’m W.O. Bentley and the All-Breed Exhibition overall winner was Carol Carfagno’ s Moresian (Half-Morgan/Half-Friesian) Beau ridden by Lauren La Vine.
A real treat was the five-gaited American Saddlebreds as they “racked on,” and we got the chance to watch Michele MacFarlane’s multiple world champion mare Sprinkles strut her stuff. Another highlight of the American Saddlebred classes was Show Pleasure Driving with six driving entries. Despite a nostalgic showing of 29-year-old multiple National Champion mare Naranda, by Phoebe Von Migula, the victory was secured by Michele MacFarlane and her beautiful black and white pinto Dr. Zhivago.
It was w