SEQUIM AND PORT Angeles’ high school equestrian teams completed their third qualifying meets of the season March 24-26 in Spanaway.
More than 100 competitors from 10 different high school teams were there.
Qualifiers are now preparing for the Washington State High School Equestrian Team state finals, scheduled May 11-14 in Moses Lake.
Port Angeles team coach Tina VanAusdale congratulated her 11-member team for a “very successful season.”
Eight have qualified for state and one is an alternate. She reported two from her team broke the team cow sorting record that was previously held by her daughter, Emily VanAusdale, and Ciara Gentry.
Their time was 75.160. The new record is now held by Cassi Ann Moore and Kaytee Gibeau with a time of 70.18.
Coming in close behind them, and almost breaking the record themselves, were Emily Gear and Ebony Billings with a time of 75.85.
“There were some fast times in the sorting pen this meet, and while my daughter’s team record time was broken, at least Port Angeles still holds the record,” she said.
“Moore also won the All Around Belt Buckle award for timed events and the All Around Versatility Buckle, which means she earned the most accumulated points in all events of the season. We also won the trophy for third place overall.”
Well done, Moore.
Congratulations, too, to Sequim WAHSET scholarship winner Sydney Balkan, along with Amanda Murphy and Madi Murphy for winning the chili cook-off with their venison chili.
Here are the top 10 placings for District 4, meet 3, along with end-of-season high point medal winners and state competition qualifiers.
All medal winners and state qualifiers go to the state meet.
There, they will compete against more than 60 teams from all over Washington.
Alternates might end up competing as well, depending on how many spots are available in each event.
Medal winners are high-point awards from the three qualifying meets.
Results
• Team Canadian flags: Emma Albright, Kaytee Gibeau, Abby Hjelmeseth and Cassi Ann Moore, fifth place and state alternate; Sydney Balkan, Yana Hoesel, Miranda Williams and Amy Tucker, sixth place; Madi Murphy, Amanda Murphy, Emelie Furste and Grace Niemeyer, eighth place.
• Drill team freestyle 4s: Balkan, Williams, Tucker and Furste, silver medal (Madi Murphy, state alternate); Albright, Billings, Gear, Gibeau, Hjelmeseth and Moore, third place and silver medal.
• Cattle sorting: Tucker and Balkan, gold medal; Gibeau and Moore, second place and state qualifier; Billings and Gear, third place; Tucker and Balkan, fourth place; Yana Hoesel and Abi Payseno, sixth place; Madison Carlson and Abby Hjelmeseth, seventh place.
• Steer daubing: Balkan, second place and state alternate; Moore, ninth place; Billings, ninth place (tie).
• Working rancher: Gibeau, fourth place and state alternate; Gear, eighth place and state alternate; Emily Menshew, sixth place.
• Breakaway roping: Moore, first place and gold medal; Hoesel, state alternate.
• Jumping: Grace Niemeyer, fifth place and bronze medal.
• Showmanship: Gibeau, first place and silver medal; Amanda Murphy, ninth place.
• Driving: Lilly Thomas, fifth place and state alternate.
• In-hand trail: Thomas, third place; Menshew, eighth place and state alternate; Thomas, state alternate.
• In-hand obstacle relay: Gear, Gibeau, Kristine Hanson and Moore, second place and silver medal.
• Reining: Amanda Murphy, ninth place.
• Stockseat: Gibeau, second place and bronze medal; Menshew, seventh place; Amanda Murphy, seventh place.
• Huntseat: Gibeau, first place and state alternate; Menshew, eighth place.
• Saddleseat: Gear, third place and gold medal.
• Dressage: Gibeau, first place and state alternate; Gear, third place and silver medal; Niemeyer, state alternate.
• Working pairs: Gibeau and Moore, second place and gold medal; Albright and Gear, third place; Amanda Murphy and Furste, eighth place; Carlson and Hjelmeseth, ninth place; Niemeyer and Balkan, 10th place and state alternate; Furste and Amanda Murphy (tie), both teams are state alternates.
• Drill team freestyle 4s: Balkan, Williams, Tucker and Furste, second place.
• Barrels: Moore, first place and gold medal; Albright, sixth place and state alternate; Billings, 10th place.
• Figure eight: Billings, second place; Albright, eighth place and state alternate.
• Pole bending: Moore, first place and gold medal; Payseno, state alternate.
• Keyhole: Summer Moroz, seventh place and state alternate; Hjelmeseth, eighth place; Cristina Williams, 10th place.
• Individual flags: Moore, second place and silver medal; Billings, third place and state alternate; Balkan, fifth place and state alternate; Miranda Williams, eighth place; Madi Murphy, ninth place; Carlson, 10th place.
• Birangle: Billings and Moore, second place and bronze medal; Albright and Gear, fourth place and state alternate; Gibeau and Hjelmeseth, 10th place.
Event
• Equine Vet Clinic — 9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 22, Olympic Peninsula Equestrian Network (OPEN) will host with Dr. Sean Tuley at 251 Roupe Road in Sequim.
OPEN and Tuley work together to offer horse owners low prices on routine veterinary procedures.
Appointments are required for all procedures, but all are welcome to stop by the event.
This clinic is an American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-sanctioned event participating in the National Help a Horse Day activities.
There will be several board members and volunteers on hand to answer questions about horses available for adoption, as well as to offer tack and other horse-related items for sale.
A raffle will be held for a beautiful horse-inspired quilt donated by the Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Club.
Some sample procedures include teeth float, castration, X-rays, vaccinations, worming and medications.
For more information on the clinic and prices for procedures, call the message line at 360-207-1688 and someone will return your call.
________
Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears the second and fourth Sunday of each month.
If you have a horse event, clinic or seminar you would like listed, please email Griffiths at kbg@olympus.net at least two weeks in advance. You can also write Griffiths at PDN, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
