Cheam vaulters reach new heights
Chilliwack hosted the BC Provincial Equestrian Vaulting Championship last weekend, with members of Chilliwack’s Cheam Vaulters competing in both individual and team sections.
Both Cheam’s barrel team and its Division B canter team took top honors in their divisions. Chelsey Wierks, Devon Remington, Mattea Madsen and Samantha Kennedy formed the barrel team.
In the provincial canter team class, top honours went to Team Serenity members Brianna Frewin, Darla Ricka, Haigen Pavan, Jessica Church, Taylor Eamor and Levi Pankonin.
Individually, Wierks was named BC reserve women’s champion, placing first in compulsories in both rounds of competition.
Church and Cassie Sponchia also competed at the provincial championship level in division B canter, where the final point spread among all the competitors was less a half a point.
In division D canter, Eamor earned bronze. Sierra Pankonin and Deseray Smith tied for seventh.
In the walk division, Sage Benedictson competed for the first time in a recognized class for vaulters under 10 years of age, placing second.
National level division A and AA classes were also held, with athletes preparing for the Canadian championships (to be held next month in Alberta).
Cheam coach Alisa Schmidt of Freedom Acrobatics competed in the national Division AA class and earned first place with the top scores of the weekend.
Schmidt competed aboard her horse Rosie, lunged by her husband Josh Anema.
In the Division A men’s class, Haigen Pavan took top honors in his first appearance in a national level class.
Last year’s provincial women’s champion, Ali McKitrick, also moved into the national level this season and finished fourth in second round freestyle and seventh overall in division A canter.
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