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By Jennifer Walker
The PCQHA Summer Celebration is more than just a horse show—it truly is a celebration! With excellent prizes, parties and top-notch competition, this show draws some of the biggest names in the business. The show took place from June 30th to July 5th in Watsonville California, a cool retreat from the scorching summer temperatures in many areas of California.
“This show is probably one of, if not the, largest attended AQHA Cow Horse Event on the West Coast!” says show manager Ramona Wold. “Don’t get me wrong, our Speed Events are well represented, our Halter and Pleasure are also well represented, and we do have a Trail Futurity in addition to their classes. But our Cutting, Reining and Cow Horse Classes are huge!”
Wold puts on a fantastic show, thanks in part to her committee: Benny Guitron, Ken Wold, Kate Hyde, Cece Campbell, Donna Waddell and Darlene Mills. Wold says, “I have never been a part of a group who gave so much of themselves, their time and their resources. These are a tremendous group of individuals and I feel honored that they served as part of this committee.”
Benny Guitron also appreciates the work of the show committee, as well as the grounds crew, who keeps the arenas and grounds in good shape, and Dominic Genco and his cattle crew. He says, “I think that’s what makes it so successful. Everyone unites to make a great horse show.”
He goes on to say, “We tried to put the fun back into the horse show. Barbeques, dummy roping for the kids, great prizes.” And with six shows in one and all the exhibitors who attend, “There are lots of points to be grabbed.”
Prizes Worth Riding For
“We have an astronomical amount of fabulous prizes donated every year,” says Wold.
This year, the show had an All Around Cowboy saddle donated by Benny Guitrion, Gary Lynn Olsen and David & Philip Solum. The Reserve All Around Cowboy received a pair of full quill ostrich boots donated by Rios Of Mercedes. They also gave away a saddle donated by Heritage Custom Saddles to the Circuit High Scoring Three Year Old Horse in the Jr. Cutting & Jr. Cow Horse. The show presented a Don Brown Custom Hackamore and Bobby Ingersol Stock Horse book to the Jr. Cow Horse Champion and a Benny Guitron Bridle and Steve Guitron Romel Reins to the Sr. Cow Horse Champion.
“I’ve always tried to give back to the show, to the industry that gives so much to me,” Guitron says of his generous donations. “I think there’s a lesson to be learned there. You can’t just keep taking and not give back.”
There were several prizes donated in memory of Rod Wiemers, who died in a motorcycle accident last year. The Rod Wiemers Buckle went to the high scoring Fence work of the Circuit.
Wold explains, “This very special buckle was donated by family and friends of Rod Wiemers.”
Another prize donated in honor of Rod Wiemers was a pair of custom spurs donated and created by Gorden Hayes. The spurs were awarded to the high scoring Cow Horse Fence Work of the Amateur division. Bob and Dana Avila gave away custom bits to the high scoring Header, Heeler, Cow Horse, Reiner and Cutter.
Classic Equine generously donated products to award to exhibitors, the National Stock Horse Association gave awards to all of the winners of their classes, and Smartpak gave $50 gift certificates away for exhibitors as well.
In the Little Britches Dummy Roping, every child who participated was awarded a medal and the Champions and Reserve Champions were awarded trophies donated by Ken Wold Training Stables. All of the circuit champions in the Reining, Cutting, Cow Horse, Speed Events and many of the other events received buckles, with a total of over 60 buckles being awarded this year.
Raffle Filly
Spectators and exhibitors alike had the chance to win something special: a horse. Jennifer and Tyler Holzum of Oakdale donated a raffle filly to help raise funds for the Doug Ingersol Fire Relief Fund and The PCQHYA. This filly was awarded to Charolett Breeze of Paso Robles, CA.
“It was so rewarding,” says Jennifer. “The lady was so tickled. It was neat to see someone so enthusiastic.”
The filly was named Double Shotof Shiner, bred by the Holzums. “Her sire is our stallion, Shining Leo Lena, who is by Shining Spark out of a daughter of Doc O’lena. We raised her dam, who is by our stallion Codys Shining Spark, who is by Shining Spark and out of a daughter of Joe Cody,” explains Jennifer.
The Holzums agreed to donate the filly when approached by Benny Guitron to do so in March. “We like to help people when we can,” Jennifer says. “This looked like a great opportunity to help someone in the horse business that needed it, plus make someone really happy to win a quality bred filly.”
As for why they choose to support the Summer Celebration, Jennifer says, “Our favorite thing to see is young people getting involved, learning and enjoying the America Quarter horse. Any organization or event that helps the horse industry succeed and does it professionally, we want to be a part of and we feel that the PCQHA Summer Celebration is one of those events.”
It’s All about the Exhibitors
If you ask Wold what makes the Summer Celebration such a fun show, she will tell you, “It has to be the exhibitors!” It takes great exhibitors to make a great show, but it takes a great show to attract great exhibitors. The Summer Celebration not only offers fantastic prizes and tons of competition, but they also provide several socials and parties that give the exhibitors a chance to get together, relax and have some fun. The socials have been so successful in the past that they added two more this year.
Wednesday night, party goers enjoyed an ice cream social sponsored by Back To Basics Quarter Horse Shows and Darlene Mills. Thursday, Busick Quarter Horses and Zanetti Quarter Horses donated hot dogs for a Hot Dog & Pie Social, with the pies donated by Alexis Lanstrom. Friday night, Susan Modiac of Tres Pinos Quater horses and Bravo Farms hosted a wine and cheese social. Saturday night, a trip tip dinner was served, donated by Diamond RB Ranch, Donna and Phil Waddell, Ken Wold Training Stables and Flannigans Cowboy Shop. The tri tip was cooked by the show’s cattle supplier, Dominic Genco.
Tons of top-notch competition, a friendly and knowledgeable staff, and many opportunities to win great prizes, meet new friends or visit with old ones. All of these combine to make PCQHA Summer Celebration an event to attend year after year. |
