ARE Y’ALL TIRED of the freezing cold temperatures? March 20 is officially the first day of Spring. I think I speak for most of us when I say, I’m certainly looking forward to experiencing longer days with warm sun beaming down on my body. Along with colorful flowers blossoming, ending the gray days of winter and welcoming all the beauty nature offers us coming to life.
While we haven’t been inundated with snow this winter, it certainly has felt like an extra-long season of frigid temperatures — especially since our below freezing temperatures on the peninsula began the last week of October!
For us horse and livestock owners that’s five long months of hooking up hoses to fill our animal’s water troughs, and then unhooking and completely draining those long hoses to prevent any ice blocking the smooth transfer of water the next time we hooked up to fill their containers.
Sequim’s high school equestrian team went to Grays Harbor Fairgrounds in Elma Feb. 24-26 for its second Washington High School Equestrian Team meet. While you and I may not recall the weather that week, I’m sure the team, consisting of Celbie Karjalainen, Kennady Gilbertson, Paige Reed, Katelynn Sharp, Rylie Smith, Sydney Hutton, Libby Swanberg and Lily Meyer, with Assistant Coach Keri Tucker, Coach Bettina Hoesel and Coach Katie, Salmon-Newton, do.
Coach Katie said they “experienced a lot of snow driving there on Thursday,” making the drive down a bit nerve wracking and much slower. Not only was Thursday extremely cold, but through Saturday there were also bursts of high winds that pushed the wind chill factor in some areas into single digits.
Thankfully, the competition took place in a large indoor area. However, I’ve sat in the bleachers during a winter WAHSET competition there and I can attest to how bone chilling the damp air inside can be — brr!
Despite the cold, coach Katie Newton said it was a “great meet” with 10 first place wins and the “entire team doing just awesome!”
Congratulations on coming in first place in individual events to Libby Swanberg in Reining, Working Rancher and breakaway Roping, along with Paige Reed in Barrel Racing, Figure 8 and Keyhole.
Regrettably, teammate Lily Meyer was sick so had to stay home. Both Celbie and Katelynn had horses that could not go to the meet, but were very flexible and showed a variety of horses to compete in their events. “We are proud of them for stepping up and making the best out of a difficult situation,” said Coach Katie. “Our team placed really well and we are excited for our last district meet in April to see who wins medals and buckles for District 4!”
Meet 2 results:
Dressage: 5th Sydney Hutton, 9th Katelynn Sharp
Huntseat Equitation: 7th Katelynn
IHOR: 6th Sidney, Celbie Karjalainen, Paige Reed, Katelynn
In Hand Trail: 8th Kennady Gilbertson
Reining 1st Libby Swanberg, 4th Celbie
Saddleseat Equitation: 3rd Katelynn
Showmanship: 5th Katelynn, 7th Celbie
Stockseat Equitation: 3rd Sydney, 8th Katelynn
Team Versatility: 7th Libby, Celbie, Kennady, Katelynn
Trail: 4th Sydney, 5th Celbie
Working Pairs: 1st Libby & Paige, 3rd Celbie & Katelynn
Working Rancher: 1st Libby
Drill Team Freestyle 4’s: 1st Sydney, Libby, Paige, Kennady
Barrel racing: 1st Paige, 3rd Kennady, 6th Sydney, 18th Celbie
Figure 8: 1st Paige, 2nd Libby, 3rd Kennady, 8th Sydney, 13th Celbie
Individual Flags: 2nd Libby, 5th Paige, 10th Kennady
Keyhole: 1st Paige, 3rd Libby
Pole Bending: 6th Paige
Team Canadian Flags: 1s Libby, Sydney, Kennady, Paige
Two Man Birangle: 1st Libby & Paige, 2nd Sydney & Kennady, 11th Celbie & Katelynn
Breakaway Roping: 1st Libby
Steer Daubing: 4th Paige, 8th Katelynn, 10th Sydney
Team Sorting, 7th Kennady & Paige, 9th Libby & Celbie
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Their next competition will be held April 6-9 in Elma. Here’s the link to watch the District 4 meet live: https://vimeo.com/event/1651605.
State Finals is May 19-21 and will be held in Moses Lake.
For more information view the WASHET District 4 Facebook page.
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Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears the second and fourth Saturday 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.
In meet 2, Sequim Equestrian Teammates Paige Reed, Left, and Kennady Gilbertson came in 7th in Cattle Sorting. (Photo courtesy of KATIE SALMON-NEWTON)
