CARLSBORG’S WAYNORA MARTIN competed in her first state finals at age 7.
“I joined my family for team events, like the Bareback relay,” she said.
And now, decades — and a few horses — later, she’s still racing and winning.
She’s had one of her best seasons ever racing A Breezy Belle, a dapple-gray mare that was given to her about 14 years ago because she was, “in a home with seven geldings and so hormonal no one would settle down.”
I met Martin about 17 years ago when my niece started barrel racing.
So I remember well the year when a young Belle entered Martin’s life, and how she so patiently began her training program, thus avoiding many of the headaches and out-of-control horses who are pushed to run fast before they truly understand what it is they are supposed to do.
Still, Belle wasn’t able to settle down and run well until after she was bred to Dan and Molly Dickson’s sire, Cimarron Isle, in 2010.
It was the very next year, after giving birth to twins Billy and Lilly, that Belle ran fast enough to attain her 7A rating, and a year later won her first Supreme Championship Horse award.
The owner of Waynora’s Hair Care, Martin competes mostly in Patterned Speed Horse Association (PSHA) events.
PSHA offers competitive Western Games events, such as barrel racing and pole bending, for all age groups and levels of riding — from little buckaroos to super seniors — beginning to advanced.
It offers fun play days and some highly competitive spirited events.
Races are priced low enough the entire family can enjoy competing.
It’s through PSHA events that Martin helps to mentor younger riders, such as Duncan and Samantha Parks, the grandchildren of fellow PSHA competitior Sam Parks and his wife, Donna, and children of PSHA President Jamie Parks.
“My kids look up to her for her riding abilities,” said their mom, Melanie Parks, adding she appreciates Martin’s humility about her numerous wins.
“She’s not one to show them off or walk around bragging.”
As a side note, I hear Sam Parks is recovering nicely after tearing off part of his thumb in a roping accident last week — ouch.
In PSHA there are four divisons based on times, with “A” division being the fastest.
A 7A title is attained when a horse has run three “A” times in each of the following seven events — cal stake, barrels, figure 8, flags, keyrace, keyhole and poles — during the current season.
A Supreme Horse Championship award is given to any horse running three supreme times, which are faster than “A” times, in three qualifying seasons in the following events: barrels, 14.609 seconds or less; figure 8, 10.209 or less; flags, 7.909 or less; keyhole, 6.909 or less; keyrace, 8.309 or less and poles, 20.509 or less.
Supreme Horse status
Through the years Martin has attained Supreme Horse status on her horses El Pinch Bar, Theodore Herbert and A Breezy Bell (twice). Belle attained her first 7A award in 2011, the same year the dapple-grey mare gave birth to her twins.
“Before that she was such a hormonal mare she couldn’t concentrate on racing,” Martin said.
“She loves to work and run, but it wasn’t until after she was bred that she settled down and started really running.”
The twins, now age 8, are still with Martin, although, “between work, horse chores and keeping Belle in shape I haven’t been able to ride them as much as I’d like to.”
At age 16, “Belle is still running peak performances and loving the audience’s attention,” Martin said.
“Even when she’s outside the arena she thinks all the applause is for her.”
(I have a pretty and semi-retired barrel racing mare at home named Lacey, who still thinks the same thing.
(I love to watch her when she’s feeling admired.)
At the state finals this year the two won Super Senior High Point and Individual Event Horse, along with silver belt buckles for first place in keyhole and key stake race.
At the Interstate competition — PSHA’s top 10 state finals winners against Western Horsemen of Oregon’s top 10 — Martin won more buckles and the All Around Senior Saddle.
Even though she tells me the wins are “all Belle’s. She’s the one who loves to work,” I know her success comes largely through Martin’s patient training and dedication to the sport.
It makes my heart glad to see them both doing so well.
Results
Those older than 18 are divided into four groups in the Olympic Region State Finals top 10 results..
The results are based on times, with Group 1 the fastest:
Group 1:
• Poles: Martin, fourth place
• Barrels: Martin, third place
• Figure 8: Martin, second place
• Flags: Sam Parks, first place, 8.15 seconds
• Keyrace: Martin, first place, 8.0 seconds
• Keyhole: Martin, first place, 6.69 seconds
• Cal Stake: Martin, fourth place
Group 2:
• Figure 8: Sam Parks, third place
• Keyrace: Tanya Hull, second place; Dan Dickson, third place; Sam Parks, fourth place
• Poles: Ady Crosby, first place, 21.41 seconds; Dan Dickson, fifth place
• Keyhole: Hull, first place, 7.07 seconds, Dickson, fifth place
• Cal Stake: Hull, sixth place
Group 3:
• Keyrace: Clara Duncan, fifth place
• Poles: Duncan, sixth place
Group 4:
• Barrels: Kate Adolphsen, second place; Dickson, sixth place
• Figure 8: Molly Dickson, fifth place
• Flags: Marie Dickinson, first place, 8.26 seconds
Intermediate division:
• Barrels: Kalea Funston, fourth place
• Figure 8: Funston, third place; Christina Hoesel, fourth place; Carissa Ramos, fifth place
• Keyrace: Ramos, second place; Funston, sixth place
• Keyhole: Ramos, second place
• Poles: Hoesel, fifth place
• Flags: Hoesel, third place; Funston, fourth place
Junior division:
• Barrels: Duncan Parks, second place; Zoe Thompson, sixth place
• Figure 8: Duncan Parks, third place
• Keyrace: Duncan Parks, first place, 8.5 seconds; Thompson, fifth place; Samantha Parks, sixth place
• Poles: Duncan Parks, first place, 21.87 seconds; Thompson, fourth place.
• Keyhole: Samantha Parks, fourth place
• Cal sake: Duncan Parks, third place; Thompson, sixth place
Team events:
• Two-man stake: Martin/Dan Dickson, sixth place
• Two-man three-barrel: Hull/Kevin Sell, first place, 18.64 seconds
The year-end rewards banquet will be held Dec. 1 at Mariner’s Café, 609 W. Washington St. in Sequim.
I also want to say congratulations to Ted and Shirley Crosby for their 60th wedding anniversary.
They’ve been there supporting and helping local barrel racers for years, including by hosting competitions at their home arena.
Thank you to the Crosby family.
Events:
• Baker Stables Schooling Show — 9:30 a.m. today at 164 Four Winds Road in Port Angeles.
Contact Dana or Tom King at 360-457-6039 or 360-460-7832.
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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 call her at 360-460-6299.
