I’D LIKE TO give a shout-out to Waynora Martin, owner of Waynora’s Hair Care in Carlsborg, for attaining the Patterned Speed Horse 7A award with her mare, A Breezy Belle.
To be eligible for the 7A award, a horse must run three “A” times in each of the following seven events: California stake race, barrels, figure 8, flags, keyrace, keyhole and poles during the current PSHA qualifying season.
In PSHA, there are four divisions based on times, with “A” division being the fastest.
How fast do they have to run?
Successful ‘A’ times
Well, a successful “A” time in pole bending is 21.34 seconds or faster; in Texas barrels, it’s 15.24 seconds or faster.
For the past few years, I’ve watched Waynora patiently training Belle, as she’s affectionately called.
What’s noteworthy is the spring of 2011 was really the start of Belle’s first competitive running season, so to learn she attained 7A status this year is truly admirable.
It’s even more incredible when realizing the dapple gray mare gave birth to a healthy set of twins, sired by Port Townsend residents Dan and Molly Dicksons’ Cimarron Isle in April 2010.
Only a truly healthy mare could rise to such status in such a short time — again a reflection of Waynora’s healthy feeding and training program.
A reminder of how rare the birth of twins was: It’s been documented that only 9 percent of equine twin pregnancies survive to term.
14.5% of both survive
Of that, only 14.5 percent of both twins survive the birth, and, once born, it’s even more unlikely both will live beyond the first few days.
In Belle’s case, not only did both twins survive, but they flourished.
Now just more than 11⁄2 years old, the twins are still thriving, still adorable and oh so cute.
While this was Belle’s first 7A, it’s not for Waynora.
Dates back to ’70s
In fact, her high-ranking status among Washington state gamers dates back to the 1970s, when her horse El Pinch Bar was the first to receive the Washington State Horsemen’s title of Supreme Horse.
Later, she again obtained the title with her horse Theodor Herbert.
To date, there are only 18 horses on the list, and Waynora has owned two.
A Supreme Champion Horse Award is to be given to any horse running three supreme times in six designated events within three qualifying seasons.
Supreme times are faster than “A.”
For example, a supreme time in pole bending is 20.50 seconds or faster; in Texas barrels, it’s 14.60 or faster.
For more information, visit the website at www.patternedspeedhorse.com/Times.html.
I look forward to one day reporting Belle’s induction into the Supreme Horse Hall of Fame.
4-H
Congratulations, too, to these Clallam County 4-H horse members for gaining year-end top honors: Marissa Wilson (Horse Achievement Trophy, Janet Fry Award, Leadership and Senior Best Record Book), Matisen Anders (Pat Boyes Outstanding Horse Demonstration), Lauren Hefton (Horse Incentive Award), Shianna Dankert (Intermediate Best Record Book) and Ciara Gentry, Suzanne Heistand and Allison Breitbach for County Medals of Achievement.
For more information on Clallam County 4-H programs, phone 360-417-2398.
Homecoming
I heard some good news this week: My neighbor and horse trainer Jeanne Wolf Johnson is returning home to Sequim after spending a year professionally training and showing for the owners of the Honey Do Ranch in Haskell, Okla.
Her one-year contract is about to end, and Jeanne said she looks forward to coming home the last week of December.
Jeanne plans on giving a riding clinic Saturday, Dec. 31, at Baker Stables, 164 Four Winds Road in Port Angeles.
Nancy Johnson is helping host the clinic, which includes a one-hour private lesson for $50.
Nancy said there are only a few time slots left.
To sign up, phone her at 360-461-0928.
Cavalia
I’m excited to share Cavalia is returning to Seattle for a limited run Jan. 24 to Feb. 5.
I saw it for the first time in 2004.
It was more like an action-packed equestrian ballet.
Filled with a mix of beautiful horses, such as Lusitanos and Andalusions, the horses and trainers performed with Cirque du Soleil.
Let me tell you it was the most beautiful, exciting and enthralling horse show I’ve ever seen.
The founder of Cavalia is Normand Latourelle, co-founder of Cirque du Soleil.
I plan on attending the show again, which is touted as a “multimedia extravaganza featuring 86 two- and four-legged artists, including the beautiful horses, riders, acrobats, aerialists, dancers and live musicians.”
For more information, visit its website at www.cavalia.net.
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Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears every other Wednesday.
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.
