Vol 1 No 1

Letter from the Editor

Dear Western States Members,

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Winning With Western States. I’d like to welcome all Western States members (California, Utah and Nevada) to our newsletter. As in the past with the Golden State newsletter, every attempt will be made to get it to the membership right around the first of every month. Each edition will include results from recent shows, information about upcoming shows, items of interest from the world of versatility and cow horse, the calendar, “The Marketplace”, and “Quote of the Month.” As always, you are encouraged to submit pictures, information, short articles, suggestions for newsletter topics. Send those to JumperDawn@aol.com and know that they are very appreciated.

VRH friend Cynthia Cantleberry hit a big milestone. Details in this issue, as well as an update on the popular Box Drive Box Drive class.

As we begin 2026, Western States has a full calendar, be sure to check it out. The merger of California, Utah, Nevada organizations is pretty much complete with a few items yet to be completed. See more about that in this edition.

We have a new and improved Facebook page and a newly instituted Instagram account all the result of our new Media Director Katie Moon. Also, board member Cady Schroeder is taking over Points Computations and will continue with Membership. Member Stacey Anderson will take over Sponsorship/Show Social Event duties. Get to know each of them in this and upcoming newsletter editions.

To complete the 2025 Golden State competition year, the year-end awards will be given at the Back 2 Basics show at Rancho Murieta. Read on for details.

If you’re reading this the Winter Ranch Spectacular in Corning has probably concluded. Look for results of that fine start to our new year in next month’s newsletter. January 28 to February 1 will be the second Western States show of the year, Back 2 Basics. Let’s make a big showing there and attend the awards event. See our calendar for entry information.

As is our custom, the newsletter ends with “Quote of the Month” from an unlikely source!

Versatility is fun and the community is wonderful. Welcome to all our new members and those who have been a long-time part of it. As we grow, the Board of Directors encourages all our members to be as involved as is possible.

As Lanny Basham, author of “With Winning In Mind”, suggests, “train hard, compete easy.” Let’s go show!

Dawn Poston
Editor

Send comments, concerns, & ideas to JumperDawn@aol.com

Cynthia Cantleberry

A Superstar

We see her on her big horses at AQHA shows. She always has a smile and a good word. She’s a legend in the horse world and has ridden everything from jumpers to cow horses to trail. She’s done it all!

Recently she attended her 50th AQHA World Show in Oklahoma City. (Google “Cynthia Cantleberry AQHA World Show” to get a glimpse of her in front of pictures of the many horses she has ridden at World Shows.) At her 50th show she rode a 22-year-old granddaughter of High Mabel, a horse she owned, competed on, and bred. Laughingly she said, “between the two of us we total 105 years” (you do the math!)

Her advice? “You got the judge who can defeat you, you’ve got the surroundings, the audience, you’ve got the horse. Don’t let your nerves defeat you! That’s my attitude.”

We all want your attitude, Cynthia. And to ride like you. And to smile like you. To be as much like you as we possibly can!

Congratulations to our friend Cynthia Cantleberry!

Box Drive Box Drive

Rules Update

Thank you to Western States past President Sarah Clifford for the following.

Here is a brief description of the VRH box-drive rule changes. These are MY words, not AQHA. I’ve tried to make the rule a little clearer.

Box-drive is a developing class, meaning that rule changes are occurring more frequently than in other classes. This event has grown dramatically in popularity over the past few years in NRCHA, AQHA Working Cowhorse, and AQHA VRH. Because we follow the AQHA VRH rules for this class, I wanted to share with you the major changes:

5 Point Penalty: Contestant does NOT complete at least one boxing turn, or change of direction, during the second boxing phase of this class. In other words, if the cow escapes beyond the timeline (up either side of the arena), without being controlled for at least one turn, a five (5) point penalty will be incurred.

3 Point Penalty: Contestant does not make it past the timeline in the second drive before time expires.

Clarification: Time ends and the run is over when the COW’s nose passes the timeline as it travels toward the first boxing end. This could be because the cow escaped in the second boxing end or because the contestant is completing the second drive.

Have fun with this class!

The Beat Goes On

Merger Updates

Our Rulebook is in the process of being re-formatted and produced. The Rulebook Committee has provided an addendum with new rules to augment the existing rulebook until it is ready to be published in its entirety. You can find it at wsvrha.org. Click on “Resources”, then click on “Rulebook.” The Addendum covers:

• New Class Addition: Ranch on the Rail
• All-Around Competitions: All-Around with Cattle and Dry All-Around
• Update Rules for Intermediate Cow Work*
• Clarification of Walk-Trot Eligibility and Rules Updated
• Green Rancher and Cowboy Divisions

*See Sarah Clifford’s article for an update of this update!

Updates are being made to the “Show Manager’s Handbook” and we expect the improved version to be up on the web site very soon. It too is in the process of being re-formatted.

Media Director

Meet Katie Moon

Have you been to the Western States Facebook page? Instagram? Media Director Katie Moon has been knocking it out of the park! Every other day or so she is posting something relevant to Western States-informational, promotional, educational. The graphics are beautiful. Be sure to visit our page and “follow”. Also, “like” what she posts. The more likes there are and the more followers there are the more our posts will get out there to other users to see (something about the algorithm). If you haven’t seen her work, take a peek:

Golden State 2025 Year End Awards Event

Entries Close Soon

The Golden State 2025 Year End Awards will be awarded at the Back 2 Basics Show, January 27, at the north end of the big arena (by the Cares and Whoas Boutique). There will be a Welcome Party, with beverages and yummies, as well as the awards presentation. It will be late afternoon/early evening, time to be determined as we get closer to the event. EVERYONE is welcome! All Western States members and everyone else. Invite your friends. We’d like to get to know competitors from other organizations and let them know more about us. Come one, come all. No RSVP necessary.

Back 2 Basics

A Wintertime Favorite

The B2B show will be held January 28-February 1, 2026. Show Producer Stephanie Lewis says

There will be a full VRH WSVRHA and AQHA show and the NRCHA Dirt & Diamonds Derby. There will be 4 AQHA judges and 2 WSVRHA judges. There will be circuit awards in every class, WSVRHA All Around buckles and Reserve All Around prizes. Saturday night there will be a ranch challenge; Trail/Ranch riding pattern, Ranch on the Rail, and Conformation with a 60% jackpot.

Go to mjmshowservices.com to enter, order stalls, and RV parking.

This is always a fun show; we hope to see you all there!

Marketplace

Quote of the Month