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Mudslingers roll at Gymkhana show

BONSALL – The Bonsall-based riding club Mudslingers hosted the inaugural California Gymkhana Association show at the San Diego County Fair earlier this month, drawing nearly 60 riders from across Southern California.

Riders competed in a series of six gymkhana patterns requiring speed and skill, including a side-by-side Single Stake match race that narrowed a field of 57 horses to the fastest of all.

The show produced a few surprises, including the outcome of the match race. Brett Hansen, aboard Skipta Miss Max, took home the title and rainbow buckle award despite being a Division AA rider competing against some of the fastest AAA+ and AAA riders in the state.

Among the other Mudslingers faring well was Brook McCarty, who took first place in Division AA on Top Gun in her second-ever show in the division. A list of all Mudslingers who placed are asterisked in the results below.

The show opened with Grand Entry – a parade of all riders and horses – to the song, "The Greatest Show." Mudslingers treasurer Kraig Kidd-Dragula emceed the event, his speech punctuated by the booming drums of the song as he strode to the middle of the arena.

"It's the moment we've all been waiting for," said Kidd-Dragula. "The 2018 California Gymkhana Association Show and Exhibition."

First to enter on horseback were Madison LoCascio (presenting the American flag) on Travelin Bikini Bar and Toni Gillispie (presenting the Mudslingers flag) on Whispering Willow.

Fifty-eight horses lined up as Madden Pearce sang the national anthem, with LoCascio parading the American flag around the perimeter of the massive arena, accelerating to a lope and then full gallop as the anthem progressed, culminating to a sliding stop next to the singer on the song's final notes.

The show ran a full day, closing with an awards ceremony filled with many tears of joy. The club benefited from a generous donation from the Korniczky family of Rancho Santa Fe, enabling the club to provide gorgeous prize buckles across five divisions (AAA+ to FC) as well as a special rainbow buckle for the match race, custom tack boxes for second place, grooming kits for third, saddle bags for fourth, and horsehair and gemstone bracelets for fifth.

All riders took home participation prizes, per Mudslingers custom. Participation prizes included custom tote bags, custom water bottles, snacks and water.

"We want to do it again," said Stephanie LoCascio, Mudslingers president. "While it probably took our small non-profit board of five around 150 hours to prep, publicize and produce this show, so many people stepped up to volunteer. We all knew this was an incredible opportunity to exhibit the beautiful sport of gymkhana. We were so happy to hear and read comments about the show, with people saying they had fulfilled a life-long wish of riding in the Del Mar Arena."

The Mudslingers next and final show of the season is June 30 at Stenerson Ranch in Bonsall. The event begins at 9 a.m. and all are welcome to participate, either as riders or spectators. Watching and parking are free. For more information about the CGA Mudslingers and more photos of the fair show, visit: http://www.cgamudslingers.com.

2018 San Diego County Fair Show Results

Division AAA+

First: Daniella Lombardo (Murrieta) on Zippy Do Dah

Division AAA

First: Avielle Lehman (Murrieta) on Juliet

Second: Jennifer Gosselin* (Vista) on Suzy

Third: Juliana Cartwright* (Escondido) on Misty

Fourth: Traci Ross (Wildomar) on Maestro

Fifth: Lorelei Lehman (Murrieta) on Paris

Division AA

First: Brook McCarty* (Oceanside) on Top Gun

Second: Morgan Ohlund (Wildomar) on Fizzle

Third: Natalia Sinai (Escondido) on Rein in the Stars

Fourth: Peyton Russell (Temecula) on Bella Be a Beauty

Fifth: Letitia Cardoza (Ramona) on Tessa

Division A

First: Jennifer Byrd (Temecula) on Jule

Second: Allie Kidd-Dragula* (Fallbrook) on Brown Cow

Third: Jessie Keenan (Oceanside) on Maverick

Fourth: Grace Garrabrant* (Vista) on Partner

Fifth: Rory Bailey* (Fallbrook) on Rahitti

Division FC

First: Jordyn Chenal (Murrieta) on Jessie

Second: Anne Shelton* (Vista) on Beau

Third: Jessica Heatherly* (Vista) on Cammy

Fourth: Samantha Hill (Wildomar) on Sparrow

Fifth: Loren Locke* (Bonsall) on Sierra

* Indicates Mudslingers Rider

 

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