Letter from President Kathy Torres

Dear Ranch Versatility Friends,

Western States Versatility Ranch Horse Association is now your new Association. All the merged board members have been working diligently since our Finals in October to bring you this NEW and IMPROVED FORMAT!

What this means to you:

• Anyone from anywhere with any horse can join. No secondary affiliate is necessary!
• One reduced membership fee- $50 individual, $25 youth and only $60 for a family. Join online or at the show.
• One reduced horse/rider fee-$15/show
• Year end recognition for individual class champions- you may enter any class individually in your division.
• Two All Arounds to choose from- The Full All Around which includes cutting, cow work, ranch riding, ranch trail and ranch reining OR The Dry All Around which includes Ranch on the Rail, reining, trail and ranch riding.
• Note the newly added ranch rail class which anyone can enter as a stand-alone class in your division.
• Separate from what you win at the show, Western States VRHA will Award a minimum of $100 to each divisional All Around winners with 3 or more in a division at every show we sanction.
• If you attend 3 shows you will be qualified to show at the National Ranch Stock Horse Alliance show at the beautiful Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
• Many of our shows are also AQHA VRH approved as well so you can get qualified to go to Amarillo for the AQHA finals as well.
• We have a lot of shows to choose from (see calendar) and want you to get to as many as you can, but for WSVRHA year-end awards, we will only count your 5 best shows based on a points accumulated system.
• Our list of current board members is further down in this newsletter, please let them know how much you appreciate all their hard work that is bringing you the best ranch versatility experience you could hope for!
• Keep an eye out for our social media and email announcements from our new media director Katie Moon who will also be our liaison with each show producer to make sure things run smoothly.

Now let’s go have some fun!!

Sincerely,

Your Western States President,
Kathy Torres

What’s Changing, What’s Staying the Same?

The NEW Western States Versatility Ranch Horse Association

In a few words, “more, better, cheaper, member-centric!” We heard our members wanted and needed! The following flyer expands on the above, then there’s the 2026 Calendar, and the membership fees for 2026. (BTW, if you joined at Winnemucca in October, you’re covered. Everyone else, time to join! Click here to join online.)

Western States 2025 Year End Awards

Results

Golden State Loses a Dear Friend

Suzanne Woodard Dorrance

First and foremost, Suzanne’s cowgirl side was fueled by a passion for the horse. I was Suzanne’s horse trainer, so I was an intimate witness to this. One horse in particular, Rico, became a driving incentive for Suzanne to regain her health. Rico was first purchased for daughter Mei Mei Dorrance. Suzanne loved watching those two in the show arena! Rico is a lovely, talented horse, and Suzanne adored him. Once, prior to her first heart surgery, she rode him in a competition where she was required to run a reining pattern. Suzanne rode well. Then, as she exited the arena, she looked at me with a giant grin, looked at her heart monitor and announced, “I just ran that whole pattern in A-fib!” I was aghast and suggested that she should have stopped. “Oh no, “she laughed, “I was having too much fun! I just need to take care of this so Rico and I can keep showing.” From that point on, each time she rode, she let me know that that horse was a major incentive for her to continue her health battle.

Many of you share Suzanne’s passion for music, art, photography, and all things beautiful. Here again, these things were infused by Suzanne’s cowgirl side. Suzanne was a gifted photographer, whose best work was often filled with ranching life, horses, and objects from the western world. She had a special eye for these things in all the art that filled her home. Musically, she was a long-time member of the Board of the Monterey Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival.

Suzanne loved history, with a real love of the American West. Even the gear she used on her horse was beautiful, traditional, handmade, and of the highest quality. She sought to preserve old California vaquero traditions, some of it passed on to her by father-in-law Bill Dorrance. Hanging with Suzanne was often a learning experience, as she would share with me snippets of history from the American Southwest where she grew up.

My most enduring memories of Suzanne, however, were of riding and laughing with her. Suzanne had a wicked sense of humor, even from her hospital bed. But being on her horse’s back was one place where it seemed most evident. I think she was truly happy there. He loved words, puns, turns of phrase. I will best remember her making a joke, giving me the side eye to see if I “got it,” then howling with a most infectious laugh.

To Suzanne’s family, to Adrianna, I send my deepest condolences. But if you can remember her laughter, her “western” side, she will leave that special light in all our lives.

Trial Period Over!

Dry All-Around & Ranch on the Rail to be a Part of Every Show

Our trial period for the Dry All Around is over as it was very well received by all competitors. We found that it was great for those who aren’t yet working cows or perhaps never want to work cows and everywhere in between. Some competitors don’t have ready access to cattle. It also served well for novice competitors, young horses, and horses that were going back to work after rehab (the editor’s horse for one.) It’s an exciting addition to Western States and we’re looking forward to all the new people and horses we are going to meet as result of it being included in every show for 2026 and beyond.

The Western States VRHA Rule book is undergoing edits and some changes during the merger of organizations. As soon as it is completed it can be found at (www.wsvrha.org) and will have detailed information about the Dry All-Around and Ranch on the Rail. We look forward to this exciting new addition to our 2026 versatility shows.

Newly Formed Board of Directors

Entries Close Soon

The merger of affiliates from Utah, Nevada, and California resulted in board members representing each area. They are:

Golden States Year End Awards

Location Announced

As our last official act as Golden States, we will be honoring our year end winners at an event at the Ranch Spectacular January 2-4 in Corning at the Rolling Hills Casino. Date/time/all the details will be sent out via email in December. Keep an eye out for that important email. Congratulations to all our competitors and 2025 winners.

News from NRSHA

Qualifying Period Changed

Western States Versatility Ranch Horse Association is an affiliate member of The National Ranch and Stock Horse Alliance. WSVRHA members who show in three shows qualify to attend the Finals. NRSHA has voted to change the qualifying period for the finals at the Lazy E in Guthrie Oklahoma. Now, qualifying for the NRSHA/Guthrie finals will be from January 1 to December 31. This change means the period of January and February 2026, will be qualifying for BOTH the 2026 and 2027 Finals! The intention is to accommodate those riders who had planned to use the early part of the year to qualify for this year’s finals.

$33,000 to Corey Cushing and Tuff Tobe Woody Win Big

AQHA Ranch Horse Classic

Big bucks awarded-$33,000 to Corey Cushing and Tuff ToBe Woody at the AQHA Ranch Horse Classic. Versatility is becoming bigger and bigger on the national stage. AQHA, like Western States VRH, is a member of NRSHA, and each of our competitors can become eligible for their finals in May 2026.

Our own California trainer Jennifer Ray was 10th in this prestigious event, riding Your Whizkey On Ice owned by Darlene Hartmann of Monterey, California.

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