Soggy Start to Arizona Sun Circuit Gives Way to Clear Skies and Competition

By: Kristin Spinning

There was no way around it. There was mud everywhere. The Sun forgot to show up for the Sun Circuit. If Ranch Riding had a boat drag instead of a log drag there would have been a place for it. Scottsdale is in the middle of a desert in the middle of a drought, but one would’ve never guessed that after an unprecedented three winter storms rolled through in the days prior to the start of the show. Even on Friday, the sun was hard to spot behind an ever-changing steely veil as trailers unloaded and exhibitors settled in. It was clear that the arenas were not going to dry out quickly, so Doug Huls and his staff hustled to rearrange the schedule so classes could be held in covered arenas. This meant that the bulk of the show was postponed until Sunday rather than having a Saturday start.

A light schedule was in place for the first Friday with Cutting classes and the DT Horses $25,000 added Roping Futurity. The Futurity was originally scheduled to run in the Equidome and went off without a hitch. An impressive number of ropers were entered in the Futurity and Open Roping, all chasing a lucrative payday. Cutting moved into the Equidome warm-up paddock after some ingenious pen building on the north end to accommodate the cattle. Fortunately, the warm up paddock is as large as many indoor arenas, so there was still room for horses to warm up on the other side. Two covered arenas accommodated other exhibitors allowing for more warm ups and workouts.

Team SmartPak riders Charlie Cole, Jason Martin, Deanna Searles, and Jim Searles presented a Trail Clinic on Friday morning. Despite the gloomy, sloppy weather, over 80 intrepid souls enthusiastically joined the fun. The clinicians dissected a Trail pattern to show how to approach and execute each maneuver and how to plan ahead for the next obstacle. The combined knowledge and experience of these notable horsemen gave a multifaceted perspective, from that of an exhibitor, trainer, coach and judge. Attendees learned how to set up their horses for success and learned what judges will reward or penalize. They emphasized the importance of knowing your horse and finding what will result in the smoothest move for that individual. Transitions frequently challenge riders and were another focal point of the presentation.

The clinic concluded with a drawing for an Ultimate Trail Package from SmartPak. Katelyn Bowen from Phoenix was the lucky winner and she will get to practice all she learned in the clinic in her backyard with this fabulous prize.

Friday evening saw the kick off of the Clinic Series sponsored by Farnam, with the first 25 attendees receiving a free Farnam ball cap. Legendary horseman Bob Avila presented a session on the Psychology of the Reining Pattern: Thinking Your Way Through the Pattern. Around 100 people were in attendance. His approach benefited more than just the Reiners in the audience. Anyone who shows in a pattern class, or simply wants to get the most from his/her horse learned some great tips and techniques to work on.

Farnam proudly sponsors the series of free clinics at Sun Circuit. This year marks their 70th anniversary of providing horse owners with quality products, and they are excited to start their celebration at Sun Circuit. At the end of the clinic, they gave away 10 prize packages to lucky attendees. Farnam will be giving away more caps and products at all of the Sun Circuit clinics. The clinic schedule has been adjusted along with the show schedule.

Saturday saw a full day of Roping and Cow Horse action in the Equidome. In addition to AQHA classes, Sun Circuit hosted a Cow Horse competition for the Arizona High School Rodeo Association giving young athletes an opportunity to show in a world-class venue to an appreciative crowd.

The annual Welcome Party was held Saturday night. Great food along with live music was a great way to celebrate the start of Sun Circuit. The Searles, Tobin, and Johns families have sponsored  this annual event for many years.

Sunday dawned bright for the first big day of the show, and while riders dodged puddles to get to their classes, the atmosphere was decidedly upbeat. Smiles abounded and everyone took the changes in good stride. While many bundled themselves against a chill, exhibitors from northern climates laughed it off with a universal, “This isn’t cold. What are you complaining about?” Conversations around the Halter and Showmanship pen often drifted into comparisons of how much snow they had back home. The consensus? Everyone was glad to be in Scottsdale, no matter the weather.

More quick thinking and help from WestWorld resulted in an alternate location for Trail classes. An area dubbed “The Pad”  was built up with good footing on top of a parking area adjacent to its customary arena and lights were brought in. Large numbers of entries navigated through Don Lehman’s colorful and challenging obstacles.

As the first half of the Sun Circuit progresses, clear skies prevail. Dough Huls commented that entries remain strong, and in some classes, were even higher than last year. Show management and exhibitors are all grinning as they check their weather apps…..a row of sun icons for the next week.

Scroll below to view more fun photos from the start of the Sun Circuit.