It was so exciting to see the grand opening of Miller Peninsula State Park’s new parking lot Sept. 17.
The peninsula itself has long served us equestrians as a wonderful place to meet friends to ride because its numerous trails are good to ride even in the rainy season, plus it has beach access for horses.
Back Country Horsemen volunteers have worked extremely hard for many months organizing the build and setting up Monday work parties to create a fantastic state-of-the art parking facility for us horse folks at the lot 1.3 miles up Diamond Point Road.
Its concrete ramp also makes it easy for wheelchair users and others who have trouble getting a leg up over the saddle to mount up.
It has ample parking for horse trailers and other trail users, and offers restrooms.
While BCH volunteers did the bulk of the work, there were many others volunteers — locals and those from other trail-using organizations — who labored just as hard.
4-H Results
Maddy Green, Natalie Blankenship, Ashlyne Money and Kaylie Graf are the talented 4-H equestrians who qualified to compete in their age group in September at the Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup.
Intermediate 4-H state team results were:
■ Kaylie: Showmanship, blue and eighth in state; English, blue; stock seat, blue; trail, blue and seventh in state; bareback, blue.
■ Maddy: Showmanship, blue; English, blue; stock seat, white; trail, blue and sixth in state.
■ Ashlyne: Showmanship, red; stock seat, white.
■ Natalie: Showmanship, red; English, blue; stock seat, blue; trail, white; bareback, white.
High school teams
Many 4-H youths also compete on Washington State High School Equestrian Teams.
Both Sequim and Port Angeles teams are starting to practice and are looking for new members in ninth through 12th grades who already compete in horse events.
If there is a rider from a school without a team, arrangements can be made to join a team.
In Sequim, contact team coach Katie Newton at klsalmon@yahoo.com.
In Port Angeles, email Tina VanÂAusdle at davetina@wavecable.com.
Sequim practices at Freedom Farms in Agnew on Monday and Thursday nights, and those interested are welcome to stop by to watch.
Events:
■ Oct. 25 — Baker Stables buckle schooling show with costume class at 164 Four Winds in Port Angeles.
Contact Dana or Tom King at 360-457-6039 or 460-7832.
■ Noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 25 — Freedom Farms’ adult horsemanship class, 493 Spring Road.
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Karen Griffiths‘ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears every other Sunday.
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.
