Local Riders Bring Home the Blues at Horse Show

THERMAL — La Cañada residents Sarah Brown and Sachi Kawabata are dedicated equestrians. They spend hours each week training with Leslie Figge, a La Cañada High School graduate, at the Los Angeles Children’s Riding Center in Sun Valley. For the past several years, both girls have competed in local hunter-jumper shows on ponies. This past January, Sarah was named as the champion pony and short stirrup rider for the Tri-Valley Horse Show Association.

Recently, both girls purchased new horses in anticipation of moving up to compete over bigger fences at higher-rated shows sponsored by the United States Equestrian Federation. They made their debut on their new mounts at Week VI of the HITS Thermal Desert Circuit in Thermal, California, a USEF “AA” rated show.

Competing for the first time on horses rather than ponies, Sarah and Sachi excelled. Sarah, riding Screenplay, was Junior Maiden Equitation division champion for week VI. This division is open to riders under the age of 18 who have never won a blue ribbon at a USEF rated show. Riders jump over courses with two-foot fences. They are also judged in a flat class, in which they walk, trot and canter their horses. Sarah scored the most points of all riders in this division last Saturday and Sunday.

Last Friday, Sachi, riding Best Dressed, won reserve champion in the pre-children’s hunter division. This division is open to junior amateur riders and horses who are judged over courses of two-foot fences and as well as on the flat.

The HITS desert circuit is a six week event hosted by Horse Shows in the Sun of Saugerties, New York. This nationally recognized event is attended by thousands of horses and riders from the United States, Canada, South America and Europe, and is one of the most prestigious and competitive events on the national hunter-jumper circuit. This year’s circuit took place at the brand new Thermal Horse Park, a multi-million dollar facility built to accommodate this rapidly growing event.

Both Sachi and Sarah began their riding careers attending summer horse camp at the LA Children’s Riding Center. Sarah, a sixth grader at Palm Crest Elementary, is the daughter of Les Brown and Patsy Van Dyke. Sachi attends seventh grade at La Cañada High School. She is the daughter of Rick Kawabata and Betty Porto. The girls look forward to competing at the Flintridge Children’s Horse Show in April.