IT WAS ANOTHER gorgeous day in Sequim last Sunday when I espied Jessica Crouch — and later OPEN’s Valerie Jackson and Diane Royall.
They were among a handful of folks who went riding throughout Cassidy Creek’s state Department of Natural Resources trails that day.
What’s more, after all the riders finished and left for home, I discovered all had practiced “leave no trace” by cleaning up any road apples their horses had left next to their parked trailers.
I have to admonish myself for not doing the same last month when I joined the Back Country Horsemen group at their Miller Peninsula Ride.
As I got ready to mount up, I did notice my Lacey had left a pile next to my trailer but figured I’d clean it up before leaving for home.
However, when I got finished riding, I saw someone else had already scooped the poop up.
I wondered if the person was just being kind or if they thought I was careless for not cleaning it up right away.
Either way, I learned my lesson, and next time, I will clean it right up.
For those who haven’t seen it, the Miller Peninsula trailhead is a beautiful new paved parking lot that’s open to the public.
Now, I realize Lacey’s plop of recycled grass probably looked dirty and disgusting to a non-horsey member of the public.
The last thing I want to do is add fuel to any person’s argument as to why horses shouldn’t be allowed on all the public trails around here.
I know for a fact those who dislike horses don’t care that the parking lot at Miller Peninsula was put together by members of Back Country Horsemen.
Or that most of the good trails and trailheads around this region are maintained by Back Country Horsemen.
Hence, a note to all those riders out there: Don’t be like me who delayed.
If you give a hoot about riding our city trails, then get off your horse to scoop that poop (or at least kick it into the bushes).
Hat’s off
Recently when I went trail riding by my home, I rode Lacey while ponying — or leading — Indy.
We were traipsing through a narrow path riddled with deep mud puddles in a heavily wooded area when Indy suddenly stopped.
Rather than get my shoulder yanked out of its socket, I released my grip on the lead rope while Lacey continued walking a few more steps.
The stop-and-yank movement slightly snapped my head back just enough for a low-lying branch to snag my baseball cap off my head, and it landed on the ground near Indy’s front hooves.
Oh bother.
Was I going to have to dismount to retrieve it?
If so, I wondered, was there a tree stump nearby I could stand on to aid my short, aging and chubby body’s climb back in the saddle?
As I contemplated my options, Indy calmly picked my hat up with his mouth and started playing with it.
“Yay! Good boy, Indy,” I said.
But when I backed Lacey up to grab it, Indy dropped it back on the ground.
I almost dismounted to retrieve it when I said to myself, “Wait a minute, Karen. You competed in a trail riding event at Dave and Beck Seibel’s place in west Port Angeles, and one of the exercises included picking a baseball cap up off the ground from the saddle using a dead branch.”
I searched around for a stick long enough.
While Indy stood quietly (a sign he’s no longer an edgy teenager), I walked Lacy around a bit until I found a lengthy downed branch poking up from the ground far enough to reach down and grab.
I felt triumphant as both Lacey and Indy stood still while I easily retrieved my cap, and away we went.
Port Angeles results
In my previous column, I posted the Sequim High School equestrian team’s results from the third and final competition before the Washington High School Equestrian (WAHSET) state finals from May 12-15 in Monroe.
Here are the Port Angeles team’s results given to me by coach Tina VanAusdale, who said she is very proud of how much her team’s accomplished this year.
Top 10, state qualifiers
■ Dressage: Emily Gear, eighth place.
■ Showmanship: Holly Cozzolino, ninth place.
■ Stockseat: Cozzolino, sixth place.
■ Saddleseat: Gear, third place.
■ Individual flags: Ciara Gentry, seventh place.
■ Barrels: Micayla Weider, second place; Cassidy Hodgin, seventh place.
■ Poles: Weider, fourth place; Hodgin, sixth place; Gentry, 10th place.
■ Keyhole: Hodgin, third place; Gentry, ninth place; Gear, 10th place.
■ Figure 8: Weider, fifth place; Ebony Billings, 10th place.
■ Trail equitation: Cozzolino, fourth place.
Team events
■ Working pairs: Cozzolino and Kaytee Gibeau, first place.
■ In-hand obstacle relay: Billings, Gear, Gentry and Abby Hjelmeseth, seventh place.
■ Two-man birangle: Billings and Weider, sixth place; Gentry and Hodgin, eighth place.
■ Drill team: Hodgin, Gentry, Gear and Weider, second place.
■ Cow sorting: Cozzolino and Gibeau, second; Gentry and Gear, eighth.
Summer horse camps:
■ Port Townsend’s Heron Pond Farm Equestrian Center camp: May 28-29; June 21-23; July 14-16; Aug. 18-20.
The camp is for children 5 and older.
No experience is necessary. There is a discount for siblings attending the camp together.
There will be crafts and games, riding lessons and trail rides for the children.
For more information, contact Christine Headley at 360-286-9256 or email ch_equestrian@yahoo.com.
■ Freedom Farm Summer Camp I: June 20-24.
This camp is for young equestrians, ages 5 and older.
There will be many horse games on gentle, retired show and lesson horses.
Campers will be taught the essentials of care, feeding, grooming, health and safety, and crafts.
■ Freedom Farm Summer Camp II: June 27 to July 1.
This camp is for more experienced campers, ages 7 and older.
There will be more advanced horse games that teach balance, confidence and technique on wonderful, safe horses.
Campers will be taught about hoof care, diet, grooming, health, horse breeds, disciplines and horse art.
■ Freedom Farm Hoof Beats Beach Camp & Clinic: July 20-24.
This year, there will be one camp for both Hoof Beats students and adults.
The days will be divided between clinic time in a large covered arena and afternoons of structured riding activities on the beach.
This is a great learning opportunity and will be lots of fun, too.
For more information, go to www.freedom-farm.net or call Mary Gallagher at 360-457-4897.
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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 write Griffiths at PDN, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.