Sisters earns gold in team penning

The Sisters Outlaws team of Savy Salisbury, Sidney Sillers and Bailey Knirk are state champions in Team Penning.

The team beat out 30 other competitors from around the state in Oregon High School Equestrian Teams (OHSET) the state championship held at the Deschutes County Fair Grounds & Expo Center last week.

Team Penning is an equestrian sport derived from ranch work, where cattle have to be separated out for transport or for doctoring. Three riders work against a clock to separate specifically identified cattle, guiding them into a pen. Communication and teamwork are paramount to success.

Over three go-rounds, the Outlaws team separated out eight cows in a total time of 141.71, nearly a minute faster than their nearest

competitor.

The top placing was the result of a full season of hard work developing the team’s coordination.

“They really stood out as knowing what they were doing,” spectator Julie Knirk told The Nugget.