Annie Budiselich cleared an obstacle on BFF Brushfire at the Whidbey horse trials.
Two members of Methow Valley Riding Unlimited’s (MVRU) equestrian team traveled to compete at the 41st annual Whidbey Island Horse Trials on July 7-9.
Annie Budiselich of Twisp won the open beginner novice division on BFF Brushfire, an American Warmblood owned by Robert Levy, also of Twisp. They competed among 18 other horse-and-rider combinations from around the Northwest.
Sydney Schuler, 14, of Winthrop, completed the trial and placed 10th among 15 riders in the junior beginner novice division. Schuler rode Buttons, a Percheron-Appaloosa cross owned by Methow Valley Riding Unlimited. Buttons is a seasoned competition veteran, having introduced four different MVRU students to the Whidbey event over the last 10 years.
Horse trials (also known as eventing) is an equestrian “triathalon” where horse and rider combinations compete across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country equestrian and show jumping.
The Whidbey Island Horse Trials are the longest-running competition in Area VII recognized by the United States Eventing Association. Area VII includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. In all, 287 took part in the three-day competition, including participants from California and British Columbia.
