Harbor View Vaulters Take Home The 2018 Horse of The Year award.
The American Vaulting Association, is the association that runs all competitions for equestrian vaulting in the US. Equestrian vaulting is a sport where an individual performs dance and gymnastics on top of a moving horse. Vaulters individually compete in their freestyle and compulsory routines. There are 10 regions within the country that vaulting teams are registered in. Washington is within Region III along with Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Wyoming. The American Vaulting Association Horse of the Year Award was first awarded in 1994. The award was created to recognize and honor the organization’s most outstanding vaulting horse that year. “A unique bronze horse-head sculpture, donated by AVA sustaining members Gail Ostendorf and Colette Garrison (in memory of Halali and Dimple) serves as the perpetual trophy” (AVA Horse of the Year). One of the ways points are earned towards the award is through the placement of the vaulters they carry in an AVA recognized competition. The higher up the vaulter places in their competition the more points the horse will earn.
Vaulting competitions are a lot like dance competitions in the way that competitors compete in multiple routines in different categories based on skill level. This year a gelding (male horse) named Indiana Jones IIII from the team, Harbor View Vaulters located in Gig Harbor WA took home the 2018 Horse of the Year award. Indiana Jones IIII is a 22 year old thoroughbred percheron mix and is the first horse in Region III to ever win this award. Indiana has won many awards throughout his career such as also winning Region III 2018 high point award and 2018 Region III Bronze high point award this year. Not only is this award a huge reflection of the amazing horse Indiana Jones IIII is but the award also recognizes the outstanding vaulters on the team and all their hard work from the 2018 season.
A Gig Harbor High School senior and first-time member of the yearbook and newspaper class, Jacqueline Verrue is very excited to cover events and people...
