May 7, 2009 in Washington Voices
Deer Park equestrians get ready for state
Riders, horses test skills for May 14-17 meet
Team information
•For more information about Deer Park High School equestrian team, e-mail Bonnie Kanan
at mrsdahling@msn.com.
•For information about the Mt. Spokane High School equestrian team, contact Terry Ziegler
by e-mail terryzig@aol.com or call (509) 290-4841.
High school coaches often say the most challenging part of their job is blending the diverse
personalities of their athletes to form a cohesive team.
Bonnie Kanan agrees. At a recent practice, a fidgety Brady seemed disinclined to follow her
directions. Brady, a spirited appaloosa, is a member of the Deer Park High School
equestrian team, and Kanan coaches him and his rider.
“It’s different than just working with human athletes,” Kanan acknowledged. “I’m working
with equine athletes, as well. There are so many temperaments and personalities in both
horses and humans.”
Currently finishing its second season, the Deer Park team is made up of students from
Mead, Mt. Spokane, Northwest Christian and several other schools. . This year the team
more than doubled in size, going from 11 members to 26.
At a recent practice on assistant coach Terry Ziegler’s property, parents braved chilly spring
winds to watch their teens prepare for the upcoming state meet. Several students will
represent the team at the competition, May 14-17, in Pasco.
Brady and his rider, Reni Ogle, a Mt. Spokane freshman, practiced the trail course. This
event is one of 18 individual classes and seven team events the Deer Park organization
competes in. Kanan said, “Each member can do five individual events as well as six or
seven team events.”
The trail course and its obstacles require precision in every step. But Ogle prefers other
events. “Jumping is my favorite,” she admitted, and Brady seemed to agree, as he struggled
to step through series of poles on the course.
Since horsemanship is often a solitary endeavor, Ogle enjoys being part of this eclectic
dynamic.
“When you show horses, it’s just you,” she said. “I really like the team aspect.” She added
that since joining the team she’s made a lot of friends from other schools who share her
passion for riding.
One of them is Deer Park sophomore Sienna Reed. From atop Diego, a Tennessee walking
horse, Reed negotiated the course with apparent ease. Team members compete in two
types of individual competitions – performance and timed events. Reed, who began riding at
2, said, “I’m more of a gaming person.” The gaming class includes timed competitions like
barrels, figure eight8 and breakaway roping.
However, Diego didn’t appear to think it beneath his dignity to navigate the trail course.
When Reed asked him if he spoke Spanish, he dipped his head and seemed to nod. But
when a reporter tried to question him, he listened gravely and then slowly looked away.
Reed laughed. She said riders aren’t the only ones who enjoy competing as a team. “It gives
the horses a chance to socialize, too.”
The Deer Park team operates under the sponsorship of Washington High School Equestrian
Teams and is considered a school club. Students are eligible to receive a high school letter
for competing, but more importantly they receive recognition from their schools and peers.
Many of the teens have ridden for years and regularly compete and show their horses.
Kanan’s daughter, Kami, is one such teen.
“It’s more exciting for my daughter when it became a school thing,” she said.
Kanan has enjoyed watching the group come together and encourage one another.
“There isn’t such fierce school rivalry,” she said. “The students are yelling and cheering for
the kids they compete against!”
Assistant coach Terry Ziegler appreciates the local high schools’ support of the equine
community. Next year, Mt. Spokane will have its own equestrian team, with Ziegler as coach
and adviser. She believes it’s important to keep kids involved with riding through high
school. “It keeps the focus on horses instead of unhealthy relationships, the mall, the
Internet,” she said. “The students learn the responsibility and work ethic that horsemanship
entails, as well as sportsmanship and leadership skills.”
Correspondent Cindy Hval can be reached at dchval@juno.com.
Get more news and information at Spokesman.com
| Deer Park High School Equestrian Team |
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