Equestrian vaulting event to be at CC this Saturday

The public is invited to attend as equestrian vaulting teams from Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico participate in a Funfest competition this weekend at the Clarendon College Livestock & Equine Center.

Equestrian vaulting is a sport that combines dance and gymnastics on a horse walking, trotting, or cantering in a 60-foot diameter circle on the end of a lunge line. The Funfest event is open to the public, and there is no charge for admission.

Clarendon was chosen as the location for this Funfest and clinic because it is approximately half way between the Vaulters del Sol of the Albuquerque area and the Gold Star Pacesetters from Fort Worth area, which are the two groups responsible for planning then event.

Gold Star Pacesetters founder and head coach Frank Pace also said Clarendon College was most gracious and helpful in allowing the use the arena and other facilities.

“Quite a few of the horses will be great big draft and draft-cross with Clydesdales, Percherons, and Belgians being the most common,” Pace said. “Our Percheron/Quarter Horse cross gelding is 17 hands tall and weighs right at 1,800 pounds. Just to see these gentle giants is worth coming to the vaulting.”

Pace reports that the vaulters will arrive Friday, June 8, with vaulters’ clinics beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 9.
The Funfest competition that is open to the public will then commence at 2 p.m. Competition will start up again at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 10, and will run until all classes are completed.

All vaulters, world-wide, do the same set of compulsory moves. Vaulters then do free-style routines with from one to three vaulters on the horse at one time. There are competitions for one vaulter, two vaulters or doubles, teams of four (again only three vaulters on the horse at any one time) and teams of six (again, only three.)

The youngest vaulter this weekend is six years old, and the oldest is the mother of one of the young vaulters. Alejandra Orozco, an international level vaulter from Mexico, will judge the Funfest and will instruct the vaulters in a clinic both before and after the Funfest competition.

This Funfest is being conducted using the rules and guidelines set by the American Vaulting Association, but some classes may be modified so that newer vaulters will get their first taste of competition in a less stressful situation. Other modification will be made to facilitate those vaulters who are wanting to move up from one gait to the next level, such as from a walk to a trot.

Equestrian vaulting is similar to Western Trick Riding but also very different. Trick riders perform their tricks on the horse at a full gallop around the arena; vaulters are on the horse at a walk, trot or canter as the horse moves on the circle under the control of the person lunging.

Trick riders each have their own horse; vaulters share the same horse. Only one person at a time trick rides; up to three vaulters at a time. Trick riding has no compulsory moves; vaulting compulsories are world-wide. Trick riding requires no music; vaulting freestyle is very much choreographed to music that fits the vaulter(s) and the horse.

For more information about equestrian vaulting, visit www.goldstarpacesetters.com.