SO FAR THIS late spring we’ve experienced many days with wonderful weather to ride in, haven’t we?

While I wasn’t able to participate this year, my neighbor Kris Phillips shared that 12 riders took part in the annual Dan Kelly Trail ride hosted by the Peninsula Chapter of Back Country Horsemen.

“It was a beautiful day and we all had a great time,” she said.

When I went last year, Phillips helped me tend to a nest of baby birds whose mother had set up in my horse trailer. Happily all survived and made it home to their very anxious mother.

This year, I’ve kept a tarp over my trailer to avoid any nesting inside.

Three members of our local Washington State High School Equestrian teams just returned from the Pacific Northwest Invitational Championship.

This interstate competition takes the top five teams and individuals in each event from Washington and Oregon’s high school equestrian state finals for a highly competitive end-of-season finale.

Currently, each state has nearly 1,000 athletes competing for these top spots.

Held the third weekend in June in Redmond, Ore., Port Angeles coach Olivia Dietzman took Cassi Ann Moore and Emma Albright. While both competed in individual flags, sadly neither one placed.

That didn’t take away from the excitement of Moore’s quick and fast pole bending run of 21.386 seconds that earned her the gold medal, though.

Sequim coach Katie Newton took Grace Niemeyer and she won third place in jumping.

Congratulations to both teams for their wins.

Horse travel

This is a reminder to those who might be traveling out of state with their horses: Each state determines the requirements for animals entering from outside its borders.

Requirements might include:

• Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI)

• Import permit

• Vaccinations against disease

• Tests for disease

• Statements about the animal disease conditions of the area or flock/herd of origin

• Other requirements the state determines are appropriate

Call or look online for each state’s office of the state veterinarian to learn the state’s current requirements. Then talk with your veterinarian to get the necessary paperwork.

To lessen the chances of picking up an illness, avoid sharing water or feed buckets with other horses when traveling.

The same advice goes for your dogs, too.

Events

• Patterned Speed Horse Association (PSHA) game shows — June 29-30 and June 15-16 at Quarter Moon Ranch, 383 W. Runion Road, Sequim (Carlsborg).

Show starts both days at 9:30 a.m.

Contact is Waynora Martin, 360-683-6902.

For more information about PSHA visit its website patternedspeed horse.com or Facebook page PSHA Olympic Region.

• Freedom Farm summer camps and clinics — at 493 Spring Road, Port Angeles (Agnew).

Camp 1 is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 24-28 for ages 5 and older.

The Advanced Performance Camp is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 1-5 and July 9 for young and adult equestrians.

The Dave Ellis clinic will be from July 17-21.

It will cover cowboy dressage and ranch versatility.

For more information, contact Mary Gallagher at 360-457-4897 or visit freedom-farm.net.

________

Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears the second and fourth Sunday 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.

Sequim’s Grace Niemeyer won third place in jumping at the competitive high school equestrian teams interstate championship competition in Redmond, Ore. (Katie Newton)