I’m with you Bumpkin!! Before moving to Irvine in early 76, we lived in Rolling Hills. I think that’s where my love of horses got out of control! I could see them every day by just looking out our back window. And we were just a hop, skip and a jump from the grounds of the Los Amigos de Las Lomas shows. (Did I just make that up??) Do they still have those great three day shows??
Kathy Kusner did a lot of the stunt riding for Diane Baker in The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit…
Kathy Kusner rode, in the '72 Olympics…
Fleet Apple!
It’s “six degrees of Fleet Apple” again! 
The Kraemers (sp?). They rode with Russell Stewart, post-Christimar Farm days. (BTW, anyone remember exactly what the blow-up between was Russell and the Bushkins? Heard some rumors that it all had to do with money – as in the amount he was being given as his “retainer” – but never the details.)
The daughter “burst” on the scene as a really young junior. Their horses always had Christian names (One Way, a really nice big dark horse, is the one that sticks out in my mind) and all their congratulatory ads in Horses magazine carried Scripture and the “fish” symbol. They were here and then … they were gone.
I rode at the fairgrounds in 1964,65 and 66. The Don moved to Shady Canyon Ranch and we all went out there. Lee Garrett (Battle Tone), Dee Dee Beauchamp (ORCO & Tasman Sea)along with Mary Jacubek, Mary Ketcham, Mason Phelps (when he was in town), Nina Kotzin (Prince Like & Something Sweet)and the 2 kids that rode with Don also. Lisa who rode Rob Gage’s old horse Harriet and her little sister who rode a horse called Mr. Jackson.
Boy, these memories just came flooding back…it’s totally amazing. You bet I remember when the OC horse show was rated an A and then the Region 12 show followed. All the barns were wooden back then.
Don left Shady Canyon and went to a stable in Riverside and about that time I went to Leslie’s in Fountain Valley where I did much better in the shows…back then we all bought our horses from Cynthia Cambell… Here’s a picture of Leslie on Joy Tathwell’s horse Hard Ice.
I really started with Katrina and Mr Harris abck in the 1958 when I was a wee tadpole. Do you remember these horses…Africa, Highglow, Little Indian, Clarney, Buckineer, and of course Mr. Harris’s horse Tonopah Bill. I never saw him ride his horse ever… Wow! I can’t believe I am recalling all of this.
After Mr. Harris’ my Dad bought me an old horse named Stubby and we kept him at Al’s, the stable in Corona del Mar, where the 15th tee at Pelican Hills now stands. I was there until I went to Don’s in 1964…
Sheeze! I sound like a relic. Did you and I ride together? What was the name of your horse and who did you train with???
Hack and Back - for those “to hell and beyond” show moments
Hack Attack - when your horse does the uncontrollable flat race during “Canter, canter your horses please”
Hack Snack - very long line up in front of the judge moments; chat optional
Hack Lack - one direction of the ring, halfway around at each gait; total ripoff of entry fee
Hack Tack - what fell into the arena and is now stuck in your horse’s hoof
Hack Smack - faceplant in front of the judge
Hack Rack - horse decides to do a four-beat canter
Hack Jack - little cowboy hat-wearing decoration you get in the drive-thru on your way to the show
I guess it’s Greyhound! Sorry, but I’m a little under the weather. 
You see, I could’ve been tied to that Greek god if things like that door hadn’t been shut in my face! (Was fate trying to tell me something?) 
Ah, this brings back memories… (Okay, cue up Sinatra singing, “When I was 17, it was a very good year…”) 
Equine Affaire will be at the LA County Fairgrounds (no ostrich races!) Feb. 9-11. Lots of interesting clinics. Linda Allen’s demonstrations/clinics are outside some of the time, so let’s have it NOT rain or be windy!
Re: List of west Coast riders on the USET — HOW could I have forgotten Anne K??? I knew her when she was still a Jr, when I rode with Jimmy W at Flintridge, so of course I knew she was West coast. I guess I have just thought of her as East coast because she has been back there for so long.
Funny story about Anne: when I bought a horse from Jimmy I was just getting back in to riding after college and starting a career. I wore the only breeches I had when I went out for my first ride – Melton wool, canary, flap front breeches… when I saw the 4 way stretch that everyone else was wearing I was mortified to look so outdated. That very day I went running to the Paddock Shop and bought a pair of 4 way stretch. Those old baggy flap front breeches almost saw the dumpster that day. I swore they would never drape my body again! 
.
Turns out that Anne K had been back east the summer before riding with Patty Heuckeroth. Patty had a pair of identical breeches that she wore in formal attire classes and Patty was Anne’s idol. Anne LUSTED after my breeches, so she could look like Patty. So I sold them to her (for a pretty nice price, I must say). LOL. Everyone was happy in that transaction!
Dublin: What was Robert Foley’s barn’s name? Where in So. Cal. did he train? Can you think of any show horses in his barn? The name sounds vaguely familiar, but I need more data to coerce the brain cells into action.
And yes, I believe I may be donning my light blue down parka for Pomona. And enough about the “skinny blond” thing. I just ate 1/2 box of Stater Bros. brownies, so I may be bloated and unrecognizable by the weekend!
The reference Katey made is to the book I’m slaving over. It is such a funny story (not the book, my mom, Queen of Horse Show Mothers). Last week my mom’s snooping around, pretending to do some barn chores, while I’m interviewing my farrier for some background info for this book. I need to know how someone sets up a picket line, how much weight a pack horse can carry, etc. And my mom keeps walking in and out of the feedroom. I keep telling my farrier the storyline, about how, on this overnight ride, this “bad guy” causes a ruckus, etc., and the only way up to the camp is on horseback or by jeep. And the farrier starts telling a story about how his horses one time spooked in the wind and got loose from the picket line, etc. So my mom, Miss Snoopy Pants, storms into the feedroom, interupts, and says all huffy to our shoer, “I don’t know what you’re talking her into doing, but I am NOT coming up some mountain in a jeep to rescue her!” LOL!
It was like, “You know Mom, it’s a BOOK I’m talking about! Stop eavesdropping!”
“Life on Farm with Mother”, Chapter 14…
I’ll go ahead and spill the beans about my little sister, she won’t mind. Her maiden name was Mary Kay Lathrop. After she worked at PHC, she was an assistant to Debbie Nordstrom Sands at Westlake Village Eq Ctr.
Then she married and moved to New Mexico, where she trained a number of juniors and amateurs on her own pretty successfully for 5 or so years. After a subsequent divorce, she got remarried and now is entirely out of the horse business. (although she definitely enjoyed this topic when I forwarded it to her - and we had a blast reminiscing about all the names that have been brought up!).
Wish I could get her to join in on COTH, but I have a hard enough time getting her to e-mail me!!!
While we aren’t supposed to be purveyors of mindless gossip on this board (geez, sounding so Mother Hen-like), must know about the junior rider, especially if was a biggy.
The only blonde I knew of “back then” was Peggy Osterkamp-Pinza. Now, do you remember her, Suave? You also mentioned, from Don Swan’s barn, the sisters with Rob Gage’s old horse, Harriet. Those were the Wagners: Lisa and Amy. And then there was a pretty dark-haired girl I became friends with for a while, Amelia something. And from Katrina’s, you mentioned Mason Phelps. Yes, I believe we discussed him on page, oh, 19? My first show horse was Katrina’s big buckskin he used to ride, Champ. Geez, those were the days!
I wanted to tell Bumpkin thank you for the compliments on my pics. As for worries…LOL…I should have plenty…did I tell ya’ll about the time I fell off onto a jump cup at Indio and slashed my leg? I got 10 stitches, wrapped a big ace bandage around my thigh and re-entered myself in all my classes after my trainer scratched me!!! I guess I repress those thoughts as I become fixated on the course I am riding…either that or I’ve got a great poker face.
Sorry for the interruption…now back to our regularly scheduled program…
The Bushkin place was awesome, if my memory serves me correctly.
The late JJ Smith took us there once upon a time many years ago.
I saw Erica Petal’s name in relation to the Northern California JR Club show in Sacramento. I wish I had made the effort to see if she was at the JRT show I was at, but I was afraid I would gush about how adorable she was in HORSES!!
OMG, Coreene!! I rode Clifford too! (Calling Merry: Do you suppose we have a sister that Mom and Dad neglected to tell us about??) I had a friend who was a “guide” at Circle J one summer. Merry and I had our own horses by then, but the pal would invite me to go riding with her, sooooo… According to the woman who ran Circle J (I think it was a family-run operation?), Clifford was the only horse who would “wear” that English saddle. Your and my butts touched the same saddle! One wonders if Clifford realized his important role in life.
Anyone out there remember Orey (sp?) Tucker’s pony ride in Costa Mesa? Think it might have been on Wilson Street. Have very fond memories of riding Peanut in the “gallop fast” lane … which, of course, was more like the jog slow lane.
One other stable: Mr. Harris’ in Fountain Valley … or was it Fullerton? (I don’t think anyone ever really knew his first name … he was always called “Mr. Harris.”) Toward the end of his tenure, he had a young woman riding for him who was a pretty good hand on a horse. Kinda the rough-and-ready type but a very good, natural rider. (Personal aside: I tried – and almost bought – a horse from him nicknamed Duck, really cool big bay horse with a white face. He hurt himself right before the vet check; but it all worked out, because then I found the equine Beezer at George Meyers’ barn … and as they say, everything worked out for the best. 
) Anyway, anyone recall that young woman’s name and what might have happened to her?
Merry, Dennis Henderson is here in Texas, near Houston in fact. And the stories sound about right.
Oh Rusty, I’m so sorry. What a lucky horse to have had you. I will bring an extra big bag of carrots down to the barn tonight (Ralphs and Albertsons does 25 lbs for $3.99) and my row and the facing row will all have some in Jiggs’ honor.
On a Try To Make You Smile note, what is it about 17 year olds over there showing horses in jods? Scary.
The BHSM (blond horse Show Mom) belonged to none-other that Julie Smith. I used to get such a kick out of seeing her navigate the tricky footing in her stiletto heels. And the blond hair and short skirts. She looked so trendy back then in comparision to my HS Mom, who was heavily into sensible shoes.
The girl I am referring to had the initials NH and her sister was the real riding star of the family. There was a birth announcement in Horses as well as a wedding announcement.
I ran into Lee Garrett about 10 years ago when I lived in Laguna Beach. She was working in the White House (Bar & Grill on PCH) there as the head bartender.
From last I heard about Dee Dee her Dad had set her up with a management job in one of his health clubs in Hawaii I think. But that was some time ago.
I remember in 1969, Lisa Wagner had a terrible riding accident at the fair grounds riding Harriet. I think she hit her head really hard and I don’t think she really ever rode after that.
I saw her some years later and I could tell that the accident had taken its toll so to speak. The Wagner’s were such nice folks.
I have really loved seeing all the wonderful pictures that have been posted. Keep 'em coming!
On a different note. I ran across a lady selling old editions of HORSES magazines on EBAY. She has a collection of about 15 years worth. If any of you are interested. let me know & I’ll pass along her email address. She doesn’t have many Christmas issues though.
Some terrific rider combinations I remember are Best Bet and Susie, Get Smart and Rob Gage, Gilligan and Susie Arnold, EastPoint and Debbie Flanigan, Patti Huddleston and Troubador, Munnings and Jimmy Kohn, Diane Dixon and Chances Are (I think or was that Francie Steinwedell??)
Do you remember that the fences for the kids classes were 3’6" with 4’ spreads. Maybe our first fence, a brush, was kinda a warmup at 3’ or so. Nowadays, it’s 1’9" long stirrup (I just got back into showing last year after 30 years…call me crazy). I thought to myself what the heck is Long Stirrup, then the 2’6" medal classes the 3’ Medals etc. What ever happened to Hunter Hack classes. I loooved that class. So many changes. I really feel dated.
The other night I watched “The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit” they did some show filming at Portagese Bend HS. Did the riders that you caught glimpses of looked terrible??? Or did they just get some bad shots. There’s one scene where they are filming someone on course and the horse chipped at every fence and the rider looked like a passenger. Is it my imagination???
Sorry for being so long winded…but I am having so much fun…
Here’s a different view
Pardon me for extending the thread, but why should something die just because it is long? I think it is lovely.
Anyway, Beezer, about Emmett Kelly. I seem to recall an Emmett Kelly who was chestnut with lots of chrome. Of course, I would know nothing about Ca. horses, so it is probably a different one, unless it was sold east. It was a while ago.
The East also had a chestnut/white Gene Kelly. he was at Cismont the same time as Charisma, who was later sold to George Lindeman. It was my understanding that, when the horse failed to go well for George, Kenny offered to buy him back for the full sale price.
