Annual week-long state championships keeps riders, horses
busy
The California Gymkhana Association held its 39th Annual State
Championship Finale at Bolado Park, starting with a setup show that
allowed riders to get their last minute times before the end of
year on July 23. The events will be completed tomorrow.
”
Some of the best horseman and horsewomen in California will be
at this year’s show displaying their abilities in good clean
sportsmanship,
”
wrote Skip Hofman and Roger Odom, the state show co-chairs, in a
letter to applicants.
Annual week-long state championships keeps riders, horses busy
The California Gymkhana Association held its 39th Annual State Championship Finale at Bolado Park, starting with a setup show that allowed riders to get their last minute times before the end of year on July 23. The events will be completed tomorrow.
“Some of the best horseman and horsewomen in California will be at this year’s show displaying their abilities in good clean sportsmanship,” wrote Skip Hofman and Roger Odom, the state show co-chairs, in a letter to applicants.
The events began at 8 a.m. all week long, with the co-chairs toting a Match Race competition, in which the 16 fastest riders in each event for the day, go head to head for a cash prize. The week-long finale has 21 performance divisions and age groups, allowing those from novice to experienced riders a chance to participate.
The CGA winds down every day with the nightly match races, which can put riders, horses and fans on edge
It’s partly the nighttime atmosphere, where the tower lights, setting sun and kicked-up dust create an eerie golden glow in the Bolado Park arena. It’s also partly the head-to-head, bracketed-style of competition, where the adrenaline of both rider and horse rises in anticipation with each elimination race.
The match race is considered the most exciting part of the weeklong State Championship Finals at Bolado Park, and for good reason.
“Well, there is money involved,” said Jamie Tsuji of Watsonville, at last year’s event.
The nighttime-only event takes the top 16 riders from that day’s competitions – on Tuesday, figure-8 stake, speed barrels and poles II were in action – and pits them in a March Madness-style bracket where 16 riders turns into eight riders after the first round, then to four, and then to two before a champion is decided.
And unlike the day’s events, where some 200 riders shoot for the fastest time in order to claim a state-championship buckle, the match races are one-on-one with a cash prize on the line.
In addition to the competition in the arena, riders had a chance to decorate their stalls. Judges visited the stalls on Tuesday afternoon, turning in their ballots to the show office by Wednesday morning. The winners were announced at a barbecue Wednesday evening. Some of the categories included best team decorations (two or more stalls,) best individual decorations, most exotic decorations, most patriotic, most amusing, most beautiful, most creative, best idea and people’s choice.
For more information on the California Gymkhana Association, visit www.calgymkhana.com.
