Sisters sends 10 riders to state

The Sisters High School equestrian team finished the regular season on a high note, with ten riders heading to the state meet. Central Point is the venue for that meet, which takes place May 13-16.

Sisters is part of the Central District, made up of 14 schools in a district stretching from Hood River in the north to Lakeview in the south, Pendleton in the east and Sisters in the west. The schools are classed mini (1-3 riders), small (4-7 riders), medium (8-13 riders) and large

(14-plus riders).

The Sisters team competes in the large team category. Sisters fields just 14, and of the 10 going to state, four are first-year competitors.

In a generous move, the district is paying the stall fees for all Central District competitors at the state meet.

Coach Beth Jacobsen said, "The season went better than we expected. The riders put in a huge amount of time and effort, and the changes from the first meet to the third were noticeable."

She noted that the strength of the team is in the group of English riders, but those doing team events and the gamers steadily improved their times.

Oregon High School Equestrian Team (OHSET) is a club sport in high schools across the state, and as such doesn't garner a lot of attention. Participants earn an academic letter, even though it is a physically taxing sport. Jacobsen contends that the commitment of time and energy that the riders, their parents and coaches put in draws the team together in a unique way. The meets, which take three days to complete, become a family affair with most families camping out at the event site. Jacobsen and the other coaches welcome new members for next year.

Riders earning gold, silver or bronze medals qualify for the state meet, as do those who have accrued sufficient points over the season. Results of the third Central District meet and state qualifiers are as follows:

Individual Events

Hunt Seat over Fences: Katie Yozamp, gold; Cassidy Kinneman, silver; Samantha Novotny, silver; Bobbi Jo Rasauer, bronze.

Dressage: Katie Yozamp, gold; Bobbie Jo Rasauer, bronze.

Saddle Seat Equitation: Bobbi Jo Rasauer, gold.

Driving: Bobbi Jo Rasauer, gold.

Steer Daubing: Jenna Jacobsen, silver.

Individual Flags: Jenna Jacobsen, state qualifier; Sara Marcus, bronze.

Team Events

Working Pairs: Bobbi Jo Rasauer, Cassidy Kinneman, bronze.

Team Penning: Jenna Jacobsen, Katie Yozamp, Cassidy Kinneman, silver.

Drill Working Fours: MacKenzie Gellings, Lindsay Soliz, Brittney Bounds, McKenzie Legg, Taryn Gates, silver.