Isabelle Gatti received the Outstanding Junior Exhibitor Award. Each year, on the first weekend in December, it has become a tradition on the Southern West Coast to begin the holiday season with a very special horse show. Jingle Bell has become synonymous with a happy week full of Christmas trees, carolers, great parties in the big white tent next to the arena, fantastic trophies, whimsical decorations, excellent judges and wonderful horses and riders.

 The “design team” of this wonderful show consists of two talented individuals who pull out all the stops each year to make sure everyone has a terrific time. Lance Bennett and Scott Hickey are the epitome of what every show management team ought to be. They are incredibly professional, but always with a terrific tonguein- cheek sense of humor. Each year this show has grown larger. It’s difficult to say it’s become “better,” because it’s hard to improve on perfection. But there’s always a new twist and a new surprise around every corner.

Torrential rain marred the move-in days. But the rain subsided on opening day. On the first day of the show, everyone had a variety of puddles to avoid, but that didn’t have much luck dampening spirits. The show, normally held in the beautiful Del Mar Horse Park outdoor arena, moved to the adjoining big covered arena for the week and didn’t miss a beat. Welcome gifts of chocolate peppermint bark helped everyone cope with the raindrops.

January 14-17, 2015

Savannah, Georgia

The convention was held at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront Hotel.For the first time in years the American Saddlebred Horse Association and American Hackney Horse Society both held their annual conventions in conjunction with the United Professional Horsemen’s Association National Convention in Savannah, Georgia. The event raised many questions, provided some answers, and stirred lots of thought as the leaders from numerous organizations worked together to combat the many challenges facing the show horse industry … and have some fun in the process.

The schedule was filled with annual meetings for each organization, as well as forums, presentations and awards luncheons throughout the day and an awards banquet each evening, culminating with the “Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil” Masquerade Gala Saturday night.

Out of the event rose new officers, including the new UPHA president Tammie Conatser, as well as the newly-formed UPHA Education and Social Media committees. A silent auction and many exhibits were available throughout the week, as well as family-friendly events such as the narrated trolley tour of Savannah, which took place Friday afternoon and was free to convention attendees.

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By Allie Layos and Meredithe Steinhauer

Marty McFly and Toni Utoft. photo by Avis Girdler It snowed. That is one of the first things attendees will recall about this year’s American Royal. However, it certainly didn’t define the show. There was strong competition, a live band that played during each session, the Fiesta Exhibitors’ party and additional events like the 2014 UPHA Jackpot Sale where MBA’s Blue Stone topped the sale at $24,000, and a total of eight horses sold for a cumulative sales price of $107,000, and the new UPHA Open Gate Learning Center, where 18 junior exhibitors put in over 80 hours of study time during the horse show and kept up on their homework with the help of tutor Debra Murphy. Yes, it snowed, but the Royal is the Royal regardless of the weather, and there was much to warm a person on the inside.

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