'Horse vaulting' event scheduled for weekend

MOSES LAKE - The Grant County Fairgrounds will host the regional "horse vaulting" championships this Saturday and Sunday.

The event is free and open to the public.

About 110 participants on 13 teams will compete, said Theresa Wentworth, Moses Lake coach and event organizer. The region includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, and British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. Participants can compete as individuals or in teams of two or three.

Horse vaulting has some similarities to gymnastics; participants do dance moves, handstands, tricks and even flips, Wentworth said. The difference is the tricks are done on the back of a moving horse.

Horse vaulters use a special saddle called a surcingle, which is similar to a trick rider's saddle, Wentworth said. It also carries substantial padding to protect the horse, she said. The name is a clue about the sport and its origin in medieval times, when horses provided propulsion. Vaulting originated as a method to teach mounted soldiers how to stay on the horse's back, Wentworth said. Its proponents are attempting to have it designated as an Olympic event, she said.

Judges evaluate horse along with the rider, Wentworth said. "He's part of the team as well." A good vaulting horse requires secure footing, a steady gait and a steady personality, what Wentworth called "safe." The horse has to be okay with people moving around on its back and performing stunts around its head, she said. Good vaulting horses can be any breed, she said.

Because a horse has a spine and muscles, riders must take precautions to avoid injuring the animal and they are judged on how they land, Wentworth said. Riders also are judged on their coordination and harmony with the horse.

Stunts on the back of a moving horse requires balance, of course, and strength. "The more difficult the routine becomes, the more balanced and strong they have to be," Wentworth said. Sometimes vaulters will be stacked a couple of people high on the back of a moving horse, she said. "They're way the heck up there."

Wentworth is a longtime horse trainer and owner of JT Ranch; her students started doing some vaulting tricks during classes. "Just for fun," Wentworth said. "And then a couple of kids realized 'hey, they do this competitively.'" They asked her to act as coach of a vaulting team, she said. The team started with five people, and currently has 10 participants.

The team has five horses trained for vaulting. "You should see them with the kids. They love it."

Wentworth said Grant County is hosting regionals because competitors were impressed by the new facilities at the fairgrounds. Competition begins at 8 a.m. both days. Saturday wraps up with a fundraising barbecue at 6 p.m., followed by music; tickets to the barbecue are $7 per person. A worship service is scheduled for Sunday at about 11 a.m.