Two years ago, after a stunning rookie performance in the
California Gymkhana Association State Championship Finals at Bolado
Park, then-10-year-old rider Jesslyn Moore suffered an unexpected
setback and, a year later, an unexpected comeback.
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
Two years ago, after a stunning rookie performance in the California Gymkhana Association State Championship Finals at Bolado Park, then-10-year-old rider Jesslyn Moore suffered an unexpected setback and, a year later, an unexpected comeback.
She had been competing in gymkhana for three years, and was fresh off her very first state performance in which she took home five first-place buckles and was named reserved champion in her division, finishing runner-up by a single point.
“I really didn’t know that much about state my first year, but everyone said I did good,” said Moore, a San Juan Bautista resident who will be entering the seventh grade at San Juan School in the fall, and who will be competing next week in the gymkhana state championships at Bolado Park.
Moore’s story of success, disappointment, adversity and recovery is perhaps similar to other riders in the state, who devote themselves almost every weekend to competition with horses with whom they develop close bonds. But experiencing all of that as a 10-year-old rookie was truly devastating.
Moore learned of the unfortunate and unforeseen consequences of her sport just two short weeks after her first state showing. Her horse, Tari, with whom she had developed a clear connection with during the five years of ownership, developed a fatal case of equine colic, a gastro-intestinal condition.
“It was sad,” said Moore, who won approximately 70 first-place ribbons atop Tari. “I didn’t have a horse anymore.”
Tari, who was given to Moore by Jennifer Ray of the Rocking JP Ranch in Soledad, was an ex-steer wrestling horse, yet quickly developed the knowledge and know-how of gymkhana, which are timed obstacle races on horseback.
“He was really good and he took care of me,” said Moore, who could recall the time when she was leading Tari and stumbled, falling to the ground. The quarterhorse leapt over Moore and avoided any serious injury, though.
“He was just a really good horse,” she added.
Tari was 26 at the time of his death, but previously converted his bulldogging background into a gymkhana-friendly style, from short trots to little lopes, and eventually to a reserved-champion performance with Moore guiding the way.
“He taught her everything she knows,” said Moore’s mother, Kimberlee, who competed in gymkhana when she was younger. “He was the most amazing horse for Jesslyn.”
The Moore family actually received e-mails and cards in condolences for Tari. The horse community came out in full support after the loss, and helped out where need be.
“If anything happens, a trailer breaks or a horse dies, you’ve got the whole horse community right there for you,” Kimberlee said. “It’s competition, but it’s family.”
Following Tari’s untimely death, Moore was without a proper horse for about five months. She kept in gymkhana shape while riding a family-owned practice horse, but hadn’t won anything in the months after state.
It wasn’t until Arlene Tsjui, president of District 8 in the CGA, and her daughter, Jamie, who is Moore’s trainer, lent Moore a quarterpony named Bandit. The loan was brief — five months, to be exact — but it was enough time for Moore to qualify to state for a second straight year, and post another impressive performance.
“He was a good horse, too,” Moore said.
Atop Bandit, whom she had to give up following the conclusion of state, Moore rode to nine first-place buckles and was named champion in the FC Pony division, just one year after Tari passed away. Afterward, she gave one of her buckles to her best friend, Taylor Lawrence, who doesn’t ride but helped out the Moore’s during the week-long competition.
“Everyone was so touched,” Kimberlee said. “Everyone was in tears.”
Moore will be undertaking a similar scenario entering next week’s gymkhana competition, though. The now-12-year-old rider will compete in her third state championship at Bolado Park, and will sit atop her third horse, Zan Skippa Lark, otherwise known as Zanny.
“The worst (feeling) was Tari because Tari passed away. I still see Bandit all the time,” Moore said. “And Zanny is pretty much the exact same thing as Tari, just a different color.”
Similar to Tari, Zanny will be relatively new to the gymkhana championships, having competed in the Bolado Park event once before about six years ago through a previous owner. Purchased in December from Dora and Wayne Clark, who also compete within District 8, the foundation-bred quarterhorse, Moore is hoping, will continue with the winning precedent already set by Tari and Bandit.
“He’s just a real dream,” Kimberlee said. “He does the same things like Tari. He takes care of her.”
Moore had two horses in between Bandit and Zanny that didn’t work out as well. One horse, in fact, actually bucked off Moore’s father one time and put Moore’s mother in the hospital another time.
“It just shows how hard it is to find a good horse,” Kimberlee said.
Zanny is said to be that horse, though. Despite his inexperience with state meets, the 11-year-old horse helped Moore qualify this year to the gymkhana state championships, which will welcome some 300 competitors to Bolado Park from Sunday, July 24, to Saturday, July 31.
Moore will compete in all 13 events, too. After competing in the FC (Future Champion) division the last two years, the junior rider will step up to the ‘A’ division this season as well, the most popular division that has no age limits.
Whether she picks up a second straight saddle next week (“It’ll be hard to get,” she said), or whether she’s a future barrel-racing champion, all remains to be seen, of course. But Moore, perhaps not surprisingly, said one day she will become a large-animal veterinarian.
“I just love horses,” she said. “I like pretty much every animal and I just want to help them.”
