Erin Schuh, 14, of Winthrop, gets in some practice on the new water jump recently installed at Moccasin Lake Ranch. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Elden
BY MIKE MALTAIS
The equestrian season is all-ahead full for members of the Moccasin Lake Ranch Eventing Team.
“We have a dozen riders on the team this year, all of whom have already been out to compete,” said coach Annie Budiselich. “In May we went to an event at the Washington State Horse Park and in June we took five horses and eight riders to a dressage show in Wenatchee.”
“We have two riders attending an eventing training camp in Yelm, then, possibly, those same two riding at the Whidbey Island Horse Trial,” Budiselich said. “A couple of the younger riders will likely go to a schooling show in July, or we may host one at home. There may be a couple of riders ready to compete at the Young Riders Event in early August.”
Budiselich noted that it’s a building year for the team with a number of the upper-level riders moving to other activities, like college.
The Methow Valley Riding Unlimited (MVRU) competition team includes Tulie Budiselich, 17, riding Forest, her 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding; McKenna Barnes, 15, of Twisp, on Finesse, an MVRU-owned Morgan/Quarter Horse cross; Cassidy Butler, 14, of Mazama, riding her 6-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Cooper; and Erin Schuh, 14, of Winthrop, on Sparks, an MVRU Welch/Welsh cob mare.
MVRU’S novice team is comprised of Stella Otonicar, 14, of Winthrop; Danielle Mott, 13, of Winthrop, on Buttons, an MVRU Percheron/Appaloosa cross; and Gretta Scholz, 12, of Winthrop, riding her mare Twinkle.
Helping the coach as instructors this season are Tulie Budiselich, Anna Speer, Allison Wolfe and Megan Goudie and “a handful of other assistant instructors who will be helping, training and are all riders on the team,” Budiselich said.
