Bay Area/Sacramento Trainers/Competitions/Things to Know?

[Interstellar]

I’m moving back to CA here in the next month or so depending on how quickly I’m hired into a hospital. My horses will be in Vacaville. I’m looking to find out about some good eventing trainers in the area, any unrecognized schooling shows, schooling locations, good places to trail ride, etc. I bring up my own horses so we do have holes and learn as we go so I’m looking for a trainer that is very into teaching the rider how to teach the horse. My main horse and I have done unrecognized Novice and recently a Training level. And then I have two OTTBs I’m beginning.

I haven’t been able to locate any active unrecognized events in the area from google searching. I did see Camelot advertises XC schooling as well as Sacramento Riding School and The Horse Park at Woodside.

[MustangTwist]

In the Central Valley you could check out Twin Palms and Woodland Stallion Station for schooling opportunities. In the greater Sacramento area you could look into Earl & Jen McFall, Jordan Ballenger, or Lauren LoPiccolo.

[Rnichols]

Woodland Stallion Station is a good one - they have a one day event I believe three times a year. It’s a super mellow and low key venue and the new ownership has really done a lot to make each show run smoother and more efficiently. The only downside is the footing on XC is quite rocky and hard. I know they run through prelim up there though. Alana Curits at Sunfire Equestrian Center is also in the area and does a lot of work with OTTBs.

The Horse Park at Woodside offered their first one day “schooling” event in May. I was at adult camp otherwise I would have gone - I hope they do it again next year! Santa Rosa Equestrian Center is about 2 hours away from the Sacramento area (I’m in Santa Rosa and it takes a little less than two hours to haul to Woodland) and offers schooling combined tests several times throughout the year. There’s lots of other places that do schooling shows in this area too (Woodbridge Farm does dressage schooling shows, Strides Riding Academy does hunter / jumper schooling shows)…I think it just depends on how far you want to travel for a schooling show.

Welcome to the area!

[Puzzled]

For the Vacaville area, Natalie Rooney Pitts of Four Star Farm, Holly Fox of Fox Farms, and Alana Curtis of Sunfire Equestrian, all come to mind. All three are actively going to shows and events. The Sacramento area has a ton of opportunities for schooling. Pacific Equestrian Center in Wilton has 6 unrated dressage shows as well as one combined training a year. Then there are plenty of places to practice stadium rounds (Leone, Starr Vaughn, Brookside, Murieta, Woodland Stallion Station, etc.). Just depends on what you are looking for. Camelot and Eventful Acres are easy to get to for schooling xc, as is Woodland Stallion Station. I’m with Alicia Swinton who is an eventer but also does the hunter/jumper circuit dressage schooling shows. She is in Sacramento. Sacramento Area Hunter Jumper Association (SAHJA) has a calendar for rated and unrated shows where you can practice stadium rounds. The unrated classes are between $20-25 per class. https://www.sahja.org/shows.html

Good Luck and Welcome!

[Brown_Derby]

The UC Davis 3 Day team hosts one, maybe two derby crosses each year on the big grass field. They are terrible about publicity; best to contact them via Facebook.

Connie Arthur hosts several hunter paces and horse trials at her Lone Tree Farm in Waterford.

Camelot - ugh, the most god forsaken hell hole in the summer so plan on camping and riding early. Easy drive, nice people.

[Fillabeana]

I really enjoyed Holly Fox way back when I was at UC Davis…a long time ago!

[Interstellar]

Thank you guys! Now to find hay sources. I read about the high calcium in the water and not to feed much alfalfa and am stressing a bit. Wish there was some research article on enteroliths and CA.

[caevent]

I feed about 25% alfalfa and the rest grass. I know of one horse that had an enterolith and no longer gets any alfalfa, but it’s not like there’s an epidemic or anything.