Equestrians saddle up in performance, expertise

By Jake McNeal

sports editor

With just inside a month left to prepare, horsemen and horsewomen are working on their horse sense.

Kittitas County junior, intermediate and senior division equestrians assembled for the year’s second horse judging, oral reasons in which trainers explain why they ranked a specific class of horses the way they did, and classes in showmanship, gaming, western equitation, driving, English equitation and trail July 16 at Bloom Pavilion in Ellensburg.

Jan Wallace, this year’s judge in the Junior Horse Fair set for Aug. 18-21 in the same arena, was on hand to evaluate reasons and impart the value of attire, horse and rider appearance and proper bridles in showmanship, and riders found out what to expect as they perform in the horse fair and in the Washington State 4-H Fair September 2-25 in Puyallup.

“It helps and it kind of makes you feel more comfortable so you get to show you’re less nervous, and it’s great that she gives us this opportunity,” said Jenna Woodside, in the senior division that includes high school riders where intermediate and junior welcome those in middle school and elementary school, respectively. “It’s nerve-wracking, but it’s fun. Once you do it you feel great.”

In the Danish Ribbon System, riders earn blue (100-85%), red (84-70) and white (69 and below) ribbons that reflect a standard instead of placing, and kids find out where they can improve.

“Some of my favorite classes are trail because it’s really interesting, fun and

Junior Horse Fair judge Jan Wallace, right, and Bits & Buckles club leader Bobbi Broderius, center, begin showmanship instruction July 16 at the Kittitas County Event Center’s Bloom Pavilion in Ellensburg.

Kayliana Blackmore brings her oral reasons before Junior Horse Fair judge Jan Wallace in a day of training July 16 at the Kittitas County Event Center’s Bloom Pavilion in Ellensburg.

different from your rail work classes,” said Emily Ryder, of the senior division, who has a mini with which she does driving. “I also really enjoy showmanship — it’s not everybody’s favorite, but it’s really technical and you can really see the work pay off. It’s very detailed and not a lot of people put the time in on it. We have a couple of big shows coming up, and that’s when you see everything pay off, so it’s really exciting.”

Monday Night Rides July 18 and 25 and the Horse Pre-Show July 22-24 at Bloom Pavilion help to take skills farther.

“My focus this year is bareback and English,” said Zane Bennett, a fifth-year horse 4-Her in the junior division and a sixth-year H-er in all, whose horse is getting used to bareback riding. “With English it’s going pretty decent; I think he likes it because it’s a wider saddle.”

Riders need good club attendance, submitted record books, completed presentations, a Kittitas County 4-H horse judging contest and a horse identification certificate in the current 4-H year to exhibit in the Junior Horse Fair.

“There all different kinds of ways of training horses, different riding styles, different ways of going about things and different levels,” said Bobbi Broderius, who leads the Bits & Buckles club, one of five clubs in the county with the Rowdy Riders, Royal Riders, Stirrups & Irons and Trailblazers. “We expect a lot from our 4-H horses: Usually if you get into barrel races or cow cutting, that one horse has a job, and for 4-H horses we expect them to do a little bit of everything because that’s what we need them for our kids to do.”

Clubs also decorate their barns and are judged on cleanliness and how presentable their areas are to the public.

“My favorite part about 4-H is just getting a bond between me and my horse, because I’ve never had anything like that,” said Darla Perry, a first-year in the Stirrups & Irons Club, of her horse Skywalker, a quarter horse that lives at her grandmother’s house and which she visits at least once a week. “I think it’s going to be a little difficult to go to sixth-grade next year because, immediately, I’ll go to intermediate, which is the next level up.”

Tori Forgey brings her oral reasons before Junior Horse Fair judge Jan Wallace in a day of training July 16 at the Kittitas County Event Center’s Bloom Pavilion in Ellensburg. WHAT IS THE GIRLS NAME - MISSING LETTER

Hunter McKean brings oral reasons before Junior Horse Fair judge Jan Wallace in a day of training July 16 at the Kittitas County Event Center’s Bloom Pavilion in Ellensburg.