I WAS EXCITED to hear of Annie Meek’s record-breaking time of 1.38 in steer daubing at the Washington High School Equestrian Team final district meet in March.
The first time I saw a young Annie compete in Western games, she was a tiny tyke just knee-high to a grasshopper astride her mother Glenda Meek’s big, gray seasoned barrel racer.
The tiny blonde was struggling to get the spirited horse into the arena to race at Marie Dickinson’s old place on Matson Road in Agnew.
I witnessed the wee lass work through her consternation to successfully get the horse into the arena to race, and she’s been succeeding ever since. Congratulations, Annie.
My previous column gave kudos to the Port Angeles WAHSET team. Now it’s Sequim’s turn.
Coach Terri Winters said the season’s had lots of success stories.
She said she is “so excited over the gold medals in IHOR and working fours, not to mention the other 20-plus medals.”
The team, which includes riders from Port Townsend and Chimacum, also won the District 4 Small Team Championship with the highest overall points.
“These girls had an amazing season, and I am so proud of them,” said Winters. “Now, we prepare for state finals, which will be held in Lynden [from] May 11-13.”
For those wondering what’s going on with former Sequim WAHSET superstar Ady Crosby, she’s in her senior year at Western Washington University. Next year, she’ll return to earn her master’s degree in history.
She’ll also have her teaching certificate, with a minor in English.
During her four years in WAHSET, she and her golden palomino, Sonny, ran several record-breaking times in gaming events. Their record time in flags of 7.92 still holds.
She’s now riding Batman, her jet-black running quarter horse bred and born on the Crosbys’ farm.
Last year was Batman’s first year running hard to compete, and the dazzling duo won first place in senior flags at PSHA state finals.
I expect they’ll do even better this year.
District 4 results
Team medals:
■ Drill Working Fours: Drill captain Lena Sharpe/Matisen Anders/Christina Overby/Justine Roads/Meek (gold); IHOR: Sharpe/Anders/Overby/Roads/Vining (gold); working pairs: Anders/Overby (bronze); Top 10: Meek/Sharp; Canadian flags: Meek/Overby/Roads/Sharpe (first alternate).
■ Cow sorting: Sharpe/Meek (first alternate).
Individual event medals:
■ Dressage: Afton, gold; Sharpe/Gabriel, bronze tie; figure eight: Meek, gold; steer daubing: Meek, gold; in-hand trail: Sharpe, gold; poles: Meek, silver; showmanship: Overby, bronze; stock seat: Overby, bronze; hunt seat: Roads, bronze, and Sharpe, state qualifier; hunt seat over fences: Sharpe, bronze; saddle seat: Gabriel, bronze; barrels: Meek, state qualifier; trail: Overby/Roads, first alternate tie; working rancher: Overby, second alternate.
Meet 3 results
■ Steer daubing: Anne Meek, first-place district record time of 1.38; hunt seat equestrian: Lena Sharpe, first.
■ Drill working fours: Sharpe/Anders/Overby/Roads, second; IHOR: Sharpe/Anders/Overby/Roads, second; working pairs: Anders/Overby (eighth), Sharpe/Meek (11th), Afton/Vining (13th); Canadian flags: Meek/Overby/Roads/Sharpe, eighth; cow sorting: Sharpe/Meek, first; bi-wrangle: Meek/Roads, eighth.
■ In-hand trail: Sharpe, second.
■ Dressage: Afton, first; Roads, second; Gabriel, fourth; Sharpe, fifth.
■ Showmanship: Overby, fifth; in-hand trail: Sharpe, second; trail: Roads (first), Overby (fourth), Anders (seventh).
■ Working rancher: Overby, sixth; reining: Overby, ninth; stock seat: Overby (sixth), Anders (ninth), Roads (ninth).
■ Hunt seat: Sharpe, first, and Roads, third; hunt seat over fences: Gabriel (second), Afton (fourth), Sharpe (seventh).
■ Saddle seat: Gabriel, fourth; poles: Meek, third; figure eight: Meek, seventh.
“We would like to thank the parents for their support, and Mary and Jerry Gallagher from Freedom Farms [in Port Angeles] for donating the arena for our practices. We would not be as competitive without you,” Terri said.
Events
■ 10 a.m. Saturday — Back Country Horsemen Salt Creek Ride, Port Angeles. Bring a jar of your favorite sauce and side dish. Poker ride with prizes; $5 for single hand or three hands for $10. Contact Judy Paty at 360-683-0781 or tacomapoet1@olympicwi-fi.com.
■ Noon to 3 p.m. Sunday — Cow-working day at Freedom Farms, 493 Spring Road, Port Angeles. Phone 360-460-6410 or email freedomf@olypen.com to register.
■ 6 p.m. Friday, April 27 — BCH Peninsula chapter meeting in the commissioners’ room at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223, E. Fourth St. Visit www.pbchw.org for more details.
■ 11 a.m. Saturday, April 28 — Game show hosted by Jefferson County 4-H Horse Project at the fairgrounds. Entry is $15 for the day if postmarked by Saturday; otherwise, it is $20 for the day. Show is for fun and practice only; no ribbons or prizes will be given. Additional fairgrounds entry fee due to the Jeffco Expo. Show forms are available at feed and tack stores and at Washington State University in Port Hadlock. For information/show forms, phone Tanya Schweitzer at 360-301-3559.
■ Saturday, May 5 — Jefferson Equestrian Association’s second annual Barn Dance at the American Legion, 209 Monroe St. in Port Townsend. For questions or offers to help, contact Kim Hunt at kimh@jeffersonequestrian.org or 360-379-0507.
■ Saturday and Sunday, May 12-13 — Patterned Speed Horse Games show at the Crosbys’, 122 Franson Road in Agnew. Phone Pam Crosby at 360-670-3906.
■ Saturday, May 19 — ACTHA ride at Miller Peninsula. Hosted by the Peninsula chapter of the BCH. Phone Jennifer Reandeau at 360-928-3824.
■ Sunday, May 20 — BCH Miller Peninsula ride with a potluck to follow. Phone Tom Mix at 360-582-0460.
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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.
