THE MURIETA INN COM - West Coast Equine Foundation

Murieta Equestrian Center & West Coast Equine Foundation
SPRING/SUMMER 2013
ING IN 2014
M
O
C
THE MURIETA INN
Located in Rancho Murieta
Official Host Hotel of the
Murieta Equestrian Center
ow Do Competitive Riders Turn
Show Nerves into Confidence?
They Call Mental Skills Coach Tonya Johnston.
in sport and performance, particularly riding,
and my desire to help people optimize how they
thought, felt, and interacted with one another
and the world.”
At most every horse show you’ll find riders
who feel their most confident in a particular
type of class, in a particular arena, at a particular time of day, or on a particular horse. For
a time during her early teens, hunt seat rider
and competitor Tonya Johnston felt her most
confident on Sundays because that’s when
“everything clicked.” And every time her parents pointed out her Sunday pattern, which
included winning her last class of the day,
Tonya became more and more curious about
why her riding was so consistent and her
mental attitude so confident on that particular day. She competed on different horses, so
it wasn’t the horse. It had to have something
to do with her and her state of mind, but
exactly what role her thought process played
in her successes she didn’t know…yet.
Tonya took her first psychology class during
her senior year in high school. This class “solidified” her fascination with psychology and after
graduating from high school in 1987, she
continued on to earn a bachelor’s degree in
psychology from the University of California,
Santa Cruz. While trying to figure out what
exactly she wanted to do with her degree, she
realized that even though she was always the
one her friends turned to when they needed
someone to talk to, it wasn’t the clinical side
of psychology that interested her. What really
intrigued her was the relatively new field
of sports psychology. As she writes in her
book, Inside Your Ride, “It (sports psychology)
seemed to me a perfect blend of my interest
After graduating from UC, Santa Cruz, Tonya
earned a master’s degree in psychology from
JFK University in the San Francisco Bay Area. The
university’s applied psychology program, she
noted, is unusually hands-on and consists of
four internships under the guidance of working
psychology professionals who also teach at
the school. For her final two internships, which
were self-directed, Tonya networked among
Bay Area show barns working one-on-one with
a variety of riders striving to ride their best. In
1993, she launched her own practice specializing in equestrian sports. (Tonya paused here
to explain that although she incorporates sports
psychology into her programs, she is not a
“sports psychologist.” This title denotes a person
with a Ph.D. in psychology.)
Fast forward to today and Tonya is a well-known,
highly successful San Francisco Bay Area mental
skills coach consulting with equestrians of all
ages, skill levels, backgrounds and disciplines
from throughout the United States. Her clients
include recreational riders to top level competitors; individuals, private barns, and a rapidly
growing number of high school and university
equestrian teams.
The majority of her individual coaching is done
over the phone. This enables her to “work” with
equestrians from coast to coast without spending hours or days travelling from client to client
or barn to barn. Because hers is such a niche profession, you might wonder, “How do her clients
find her?” The majority come to her through
referrals and word of mouth as well as through
her website, www.tonyajohnston.com. She’s
also given numerous clinics, written dozens of
informative articles and appears in instructional
videos produced by Internet partners
such as equestrianprofessional.com and
equestriancoach.com.
A lifelong rider and horse show competitor,
Tonya took a short break from riding and showing while in college to focus on her studies
(and to play volleyball!), something she feels
was highly beneficial. Back in the saddle, she
now rides with one of Northern California’s leading “A” circuit hunter/jumper show barns. As an
amateur competing in equitation and medal
classes, she acknowledged that she definitely
“walk(s) my talk,” applying the same mental
preparation strategies to her riding that she
suggests to her clients. In fact, to better help
her clients, she’s even been known to experiment with her own riding, testing new techniques before incorporating them into her
programs. Riding, Tonya says, helps her better
relate to her clients and the relationships
people have with their horses. “Horseback
riding is very unique in that it involves people
communicating on a very high level with their
horses - there’s an enormous amount of trust
and confidence to be developed.”
Another aspect of her business is that Tonya
works for herself, something she says she loves
as it provides her with the freedom to pursue
her interests and to explore new opportunities — such as writing a book! Being a mental
skills coach is not a cookie-cutter profession, she continued, and although the basic
principles may be the same from rider to rider,
what specifically works for one person won’t
necessarily work for the next. The curiosity she
felt as a teen continues to aid her in her career.
She enjoys the process of finding out what
will work as well as the collaboration between
herself and her clients as together they unlock
doors and discover what will help them
achieve their goals.
So there you have it! A profession filled with
variety, challenges, clients who share your
interests, the opportunity to work for yourself
and to do research while riding and showing! Sound interesting? To find out more,
Tonya recommends reading about the field
of psychology and the opportunities it offers.
The Association for Applied Sports Psychology
publishes a guide listing graduate programs
in the United States and also hosts a national
conference you could attend. She also suggests working with a mental skills coach
yourself to see first-hand what the job entails.
If you like the experience and, most importantly, believe in the process then this is a
career to consider.
Tonya Johnston’s book, Inside Your Ride,
Mental Skills for Being Happy and Successful
with Your Horse, is available through
www.horsebooksetc.com and
www.amazon.com.
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ongratulations
The West Coast Equine Foundation
proudly awarded scholarships to these
very deserving college students:
Shayna Anne Allison
University of California, Davis
Colleen Geisbush
University of California, Davis
Ashleigh Flores
Cosumnes River College
Morgin Sheppard
University of Montana Western
Courtney Lewis
University California, Davis
Haley Markow
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Josie Anne Craig
Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
Kirianne Olsen
Modesto Junior College
Sara Specht
University of California, Davis
Lanie Madrazo
California State University, Fresno
Throughout each year, the Foundation also supports and
assists the fundraising efforts of many equine organizations to help them carry out their goals and missions.
If you’re a high school or college student who loves
horses, you’ve probably wondered how you might
turn your passion into a career. In this issue and
in past issues, we’ve shared a number of different
college and career paths taken by others who
share your passion. We hope these articles will
spark your imagination and help you shape your
goals for the future.
To help you finance your goals, we invite you
to learn more about the West Coast Equine
Foundation Scholarship Program open
to students pursuing careers in equine- or
agricultural-related fields. You’ll find scholarship
criteria and an application on our website,
www.westcoastequinefoundation.org.
Applications for the 2013/2014 scholarship
year are due June 30, 2013.
Please Join Us!
M u r i e ta E q u e s t r i a n
2 0 1 3
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
C e n t e r
Dates may change. Please check our website for an updated schedule of events:
www.murietaequestriancenter.com
DateEvent
January 11-13 Redwood Empire Cutting Horse
Association Cutting
January 19
Sacramento County 4-H Silver Show #1
January 25-27 West Coast Reining Horse Association
Schooling Reining
February 1-3 Premier Dressage Show
February 8-10 West Coast Reining Horse Association
Affiliate Show #1
February 14-17 Back to Basics Quarter Horse Show
February 20-24 Northern Winter Classic III
Feb 27- Mar 3 Northern Winter Classic IV
NorCal Spruce Meadows Qualifier
March 8-10
Golden State Dressage Show
March 22-24 Gold-N-Grand Spring
March 28-31 QHEAC Quarter Horse Show
April 4-7
Golden State Dressage Show
April 10-14
Capital City Spring Classic
NorCal Spruce Meadows Qualifier
April 18-21
Arabian Horse Association of
Northern California
April 18-21
El Rancho Spring Classic
April 25-28
California Paint Horse Association
May 4-5
Points West Appaloosa Horse Show
May 4-5
Pat Parelli Horse and Soul Tour Stop
May 17
Northern California Paint Horse Club
May 18
Casino Corral
May 18-19
San Joaquin Paint Horse Club
May 23-26
WCRHA/NRHA Affiliate Circuit Show/
Shoot Out Affiliate 3 & 4
May 25-26
Memorial Day Showdown Gymkhana
May 29 - June 2 Murieta Summer Classic
Pickwick Medal Finals
May 30 - June 2 AQHA/NCHA Weekend Cutting
June 3-7
Sacramento County Sheriffs
Training Camp
June 13-16
Golden State Dressage Show
DateEvent
June 28
WCEF Golf Tournament
July 2-7
P.C.Q.H.A. Summer Celebration
July 20
Rugged Maniac 5K Race
July 27
Murieta Swap Meet & Festival
August 2-4
Gold-N-Grand Summer
August 10-11 Karen Grimm Memorial
All Appaloosa Show
August 23-25 Murieta Mule Classic
Aug 30 - Sept 1 Sacramento Morgan Horse Show
September 5-8 Downunder Horsemanship Clinic
Dale Cunningham
September 8-16El Rancho Futurity & Foothill
Fiesta Cutting
September 19-22Great American USDF Region 7
Championships
September 24-29Sacramento International Welcome
Horse Show
October 1-6 Sacramento International Jumper
Horse Show
October 8-13 WCRHA Year End Show &
Affiliate Finals
October 10-13 CSHA Show of Champions
October 17-20 QHEAC Wine and Roses Quarter
Horse Show
October 23-27 Let’s Show Halloween Championship
Oct 30 - Nov 3 Murieta Autumn Classic
November 7-10 Sacramento International Horse Show
Finale
November 9-10 Cowboy Dressage Competition
November 23-25Portuguese Water Dog Club of
Northern CA
Nov 29 - Dec 1 Sacramento Dog Training Club
Agility Trial
December 7-8 Redwood Empire Cutting Horse
Association Cutting
December 14-15PCHA Cynthia Hankins Clinic
December 27-29Two Rivers Agility Club of Sacramento
7200 Lone Pine Drive, Rancho Murieta, CA 95683
916.354.2119 office
916.354.2127 fax
www.westcoastequinefoundation.org
7200 Lone Pine Drive, Rancho Murieta, CA 95683
916.985.7334 office
916.354.2638 fax
www.murietaequestriancenter.com
Page 3
2013
WINNERS
Rode Off with Buckles, Saddles and More!
Fantastic weather welcomed competitors, their families and friends to the Spring Gold-N-Grand All Breed Open Horse Show, March 22 - 24, 2013.
The Murieta Equestrian Center came to life with more than 450 occupied horse stalls and nearly 100 RVs on-site during the week. Riders of all
ages competed for more than 330 beautiful signature belt buckles, nine trophy saddles, and too-many-to-count day awards.
Eitan Beth-Halachmy kicked off the Gold-N-Grand’s special events with a Friday night Cowboy Dressage Exhibition. Throughout the weekend,
kids of all ages enjoyed the giant slide; free slushies; a Breyer horse painting clinic; and on Saturday night, a delicious Spaghetti Feed dinner.
Sunday morning opened with a complimentary pancake breakfast.
Mark your calendar and join us for the Summer Gold-N-Grand horse show, Friday – Sunday, August 2 – 4.
Once again, riders will compete for hundreds of engraved buckles, saddles, and the coveted two- show Circuit Champion Award. See you there!
The West Coast Equine Foundation supports a variety of community programs and services in an effort to “Build
Community.” Our philosophy focuses on “better education benefits horses, riders and our community”
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The Murieta Equestrian Center
& West Coast Equine Foundation
is pleased to present the
photo ©Jean Fitzgerald
Stable Mix Arena
• EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS:
We grant scholarships for youth pursuing an
education in a equine related field.
• YOUTH HORSEMANSHIP CHALLENGE:
We conduct a series that includes riding competition
and an interview to show horsemanship knowledge/
skills. Youth can compete in both riding and
interview or just the interview competition.
Scholarships are awarded.
• 4-H AND YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS:
We support a variety of youth organizations that
promote responsible horsemanship.
• EDUCATIONAL SERIES:
We promote education by providing a variety of
clinics that promote horse health and horsemanship
knowledge.
• THERAPEUTIC RIDING PROGRAM:
We provide funding to support therapeutic riding
programs.
• HUMANE EFFORTS:
We are supportive of compelling and humane
rescue efforts.
www.WestCoastEquineFoundation.org
We thank Elk Grove Milling/Stable Mix
for their tremendous support!
Page 4
outh Horsemanship Challenge
Promoting responsible Horsemanship and Horse Husbandry
The West Coast Equine Foundation/Murieta Equestrian Center is
pleased to offer in 2013, a Horsemanship Challenge for our youth at
the El Rancho Futurity and summer Gold-N-Grand shows.
Our mission and focus promote responsible horsemanship through
education. This fun and interactive Challenge is structured to encourage our youth to grow, learn and to promote our belief:
“Better education benefits both the horse and rider.”
Watch for more information on our websites:
www.murietaequestriancenter.com
www.westcoastequinefoundation.org
olunteer Spotlight:
Blue Ribbon Volunteer Highlight
Cares & Whoas Glamour Rancho Retail Store...A tremendous success!
We couldn’t have done it without our dedicated Cares & Whoas volunteers!
Jennifer Quinn
Jennifer has a busy career; is the mom of Riley, Karli and Kyle; and is a West Coast Equine Foundation board member. And with help from
her husband John, she’s also spent countless hours volunteering at the MEC/WCEF Cares & Whoas retail store, benefitting the West Coast
Equine Foundation.
Jennifer grew up riding horses and raising livestock, and along with her family is still involved in raising and showing livestock. She’s also
active in sports and school events.
Jennifer graduated from CSU, Fresno, with a bachelor of science in agriculture, and from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a teaching credential. For
the past 20 years Jennifer has worked as a Realtor in the Sacramento/Amador area, specializing in country property, land and horse properties.
She’s a member of the Pleasant Grove and Elk Grove FFA boosters, the Los Rios Bond Oversight Committee, Sacramento City College Business
Advisory Committee, Chicks in Crisis, and past member of many other charities.
Thank you Jennifer for helping to make 2012 and 2013 successful years for Cares & Whoas!
Debra Robbins
Debra and husband Earl, married for four years, have five children between them ranging from 22 to 34 years of age. They also have a
6-month-old grandchild!
Debra worked for UC, Davis, for 25 years, including 18 years at the University’s School of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Population
Health & Reproduction. She retired from UC, Davis, in February 2012 and by December 2012 was back at work – now as a Farmers Insurance
Agent in the Elk Grove area.
She became involved with the Foundation because she felt – as a former 4-H member – that being a part of an organization dedicated to
youth education would be very fulfilling. "What more could a person want than to be surrounded by wonderful people and the beautiful
things within Cares & Whoas while helping an amazing Foundation. It was also a chance to get to know other people that shared the same
love of the (equestrian) sport."
Debra began riding cutting horses three years ago, but has been riding horses her entire life. She grew up in Yolo County on her family's ranch, and
her grandparents and parents raised beef cattle just outside Capay on 1,000 acres. She joined 4-H in elementary school and took riding lessons all
through high school. She showed her Classical Lark mare in pleasure, trail and showmanship. Thank you, Debra!
Page 5
Golf Tournament and Dinner
Friday, June 28, 2013
Rancho Murieta Country Club
Group Sponsorship Opportunities and Player Sign Up
This year’s event benefits the West Coast Equine Foundation’s
Educational Scholarship Fund, Community outreach, and
the Sacramento Sheriffs Mounted Enforcement. Thank you for your support!
Sponsorship Opportunities Available
WCEF Tee Sponsor: (includes hole sponsorship) $1,000
As a sponsor you’ll enjoy:
• Tee signage for your company or firm on a select hole of the
championship North Course
• Patron mention on the West Coast Equine Foundation, Murieta
Equestrian Center and El Rancho Futurity Websites through Dec. 31, 2013
• Patron mention in the West Coast Equine Foundation and Murieta
Equestrian Center Newsletter (circulation 6,000)
• One Tournament foursome, including tee prizes and up to
eight dinners at the Golf Tournament Sponsor Dinner
WCEF Patron: $250
As a sponsor you’ll enjoy:
• Patron mention on the West Coast Equine Foundation, Murieta
Equestrian Center and El Rancho Futurity Websites through Dec. 31, 2013
• Patron mention in the West Coast Equine Foundation and Murieta
Equestrian Center Newsletter (circulation 6,000)
• One Tournament playing spot and two dinners at the Golf
Tournament Sponsor Dinner
Sign up now through May 31, 2013
If you have any questions about the golf tournament and dinner or to sign
up for a sponsorship, please contact West Coast Equine Foundation:
julie@murietaequestriancenter.com or 916.354.2119
West Coast’s Premiere Equestrian Center
and a Community Partner for over 30 years!
P R E S E N T S
We’re open for business during
all events. Please visit the
Murieta Equestrian Center
website for a calendar of events:
www.murietaequestriancenter.com
or call us at 916.354.2119.
This exclusive store is a benefit for the
West Coast Equine Foundation
Supporting a variety of equine
programs and services
Elegant and Rustic...sure to impress!
Join the
Murieta Equestrian Center/
West Coast Equine Foundation
at this year's Horse Expo.
www.caresandwhoas.com
www.westcoastequinefoundation.org
www.murietaequestriancenter.com
Page 6
2013 Facility Sponsors
LEAD-SPONSORS
Elk Grove Milling/Stable Mix
Joe Parker Insurance Services, Inc.
Lost Trails Ranch
Stella Artois
SPONSORS
Pacific Valley Turf
Western States Horse Expo
Diane Hall Real Estate
Skyline Silversmiths
Marriott-Rancho Cordova
Hyatt Place-Rancho Cordova
Holiday Inn-Rancho Cordova
Larkspur Landing Hotel-Folsom
Red Lion Inn-Rancho Cordova
La Quinta Inn & Suites-Rancho Cordova
Hanson Performance Horses
Van Vleck Sport Horses, Inc.
Sierra Office Supply & Printing
El Gallo Mexican Bar & Grill
Plaza Foods Supermarket
GI Roofing
D2 Trailers
A Johnston Design
Buckmaster Office Solutions
Go Fore Pizza
TJ Holistic, Inc.
Valley Truck & Tractor
Holt of California
Ramos Oil
Go Girl Energy Drink
Heath Construction & Development, Inc.
Comstock Mortgage
Genovese, Burford, Brothers
Cowtrac
Clark Pest Control
ReMax Gold
L H Schneider
Hanford Ready Mix
Electric Golf Cart Co.
Page 7
Offices
7200 Lone Pine Drive
Rancho Murieta, CA 95683
MEC Facility & Show Office
916.985.7334
www.murietaequestriancenter.com
West Coast Equine Foundation
916.354.2119 Office
916.354.2127 Fax
www.westcoastequinefoundation.org
maryann@murietaequestriancenter.com
Become a West Coast Equine Foundation Member
As a WCEF Member you’ll receive:
• The Murieta Equestrian Center (MEC) Newsletter.
• 5% off a Cares & Whoas purchase.
• Your name listed on the WCEF Website and in the MEC newsletter as a supporter of MEC/WCEF.
• The satisfaction of knowing that 100% of your membership dollars goes directly to our grant and scholarship programs.
Murieta
Equestrian Center
Executive Officer MEC/Foxfarms
Tim Postel
Grounds & Facilities
Van Van Vleck
Event Coordinator
Shady Schneider
Concessionaire
Kathleen Cook
West Coast
Equine Foundation
Director
Maryann Subbotin
Sponsorships
Larry Arant
Name/Organization:
Address:
Phone Number: Day:
E-mail Address:
Membership Level (please denote level):

$20.00 Youth (18 and under)

$50.00 Individual

$100.00 Association
7200 Lone Pine Drive
Rancho Murieta, CA 95683

My check is enclosed (please make check payable to:
West Coast Equine Foundation)
Credit Card: 
Visa 
Master Card
Credit Card #
Newsletter
Publication Manager
Maryann Subbotin
Publication Editor
Melissa Thurber
Publication Production & Design
A Johnston Design (generously
donated by: Andrea Johnston)
Evening:
Expiration Date:
Authorization signature:
Questions? Contact Maryann@murietaequestriancenter.com
or call 916.354.2119.
Please mail or fax your membership application to:
West Coast Equine Foundation
Fax: 916.354.2127
7200 Lone Pine Drive
Rancho Murieta, CA 95683