HORSES : Grab Your Boots and Hats; It’s Time to Mosey Over to the Team Penning Events

If you’re looking for fun and an opportunity to yell and scream and don your cowboy boots and hats, consider making a trek to the annual San Juan Capistrano Team Penning Competition on Saturday and Sunday at the Ortega Equestrian Center.

Besides being a fun community event, the proceeds from the competition benefit the Orange County Riding Center, a therapeutic horseback riding program for the development of physically dependent children and adults, and Renee Lacouague, a native of San Juan Capistrano and teacher at San Clemente High School.

“Renee . . . was left a quadriplegic in 1988 after an accident,” said Dee Dee Gates, manager and founder of the competition.

Team penning is a competition that evolved from the everyday work of a ranching operation when cattle are gathered for market and the yearlings and calves have to be separated from the cows and run into separate holding pens.

Reined cow horses are used in the event. According to Nadine Symons, founder of the Southern California Reined Cow Horse Assn., “A reined cow horse is a horse . . . that has been trained to work cattle as well as perform a routine.”

A reined cow horse is trained to slide-stop, spin a full circle both to the right and left like a top and gallop a large figure eight with correct lead changes at the center of the figure eight.

“A lead change means that if a horse is galloping or cantering to the right on a circle, his right front and hind legs lead first, thus allowing him to maintain balance,” Symons said. “As he changes direction and circles to the left, the transition to the left lead should be smooth. The horse must also back in a straight line on cue without hesitation.”

In team penning competition, Gates said, “30 head of cattle are grouped at the far end of the arena.” The cattle are numbered so that sets of three have the same number. At the signal a three-man team rides toward the herd and is assigned a number. The team members cut out the three cattle with their numbers and drive them to the opposite end of the arena into a small pen. Two minutes is allowed to pen the cattle.

“We have team competitions for juniors, ladies, open and even an ‘Old Timers’ where the team members’ combined ages are 165 years or more,” Gates said.

The free event begins at 9 a.m. both days at the Equestrian Center, 27252 Calle Arroyo. For information, call (714) 661-3130.

Paula Voorhees is a regular contributor to Orange County Life.