Tumwater Equestrian Brings Girls Across Area Together To Compete At High Level

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By Tom Rohrer

van dorm sponsorNot many athletic programs can be amongst the best in the state while also being involved since the beginning of the activity.

The Tumwater High School Equestrian team is exactly such a program, as it was a charter member of the Washington High School Equestrian Team Program (WAHSET), and its drill team has won the state title six out of the last seven years.

However, the team is not comprised of just Tumwater High School pupils.  Students from Capital, Rainier, Black Hills and Olympia High School are featured on the squad.

Thirty-four riders across the Tumwater and Olympia school districts are on the 2013 equestrian team, which competes in various WAHSET competitions, such as team sorting (cattle), breakaway roping, barrel riding and showmanship, among many others.

Led by coach Troy Valentine, a respected authority on equestrian teams that gives clinics at schools and universities across both Washington and Oregon, the team continues to perform at a high level, while developing necessary life skills for each individual athlete.

With a reputation as one of the state’s top programs, the team must handle the pressure of high performance and being the top target of their opponents.

“Everybody is after Tumwater. We are state champions, have been consistently, so people want to knock us off,” said team captain and Tumwater High School senior Tara Kimborough.  “We have a lot of pride, but we don’t let it get to our head.  We just keep working hard.”

“There’s a lot of pressure to keep the tradition going,” said Drill Team Captain Lauryn McAferty, a senior at THS. “I think it’s really cool to be a part of that, but it’s definitely hard when teams keep trying to knock you down.”

In order to keep up with the always improving competition, Coach Valentine uses his vast experience to keep him and the team in proper perspective.

“We’ve been pretty traditionally successful, but each year, we’re being challenged all the time, and the competition is always improving it seems,” Valentine said. “I try not to get too excited and look past the program I put together and to stay the course when things go bad. I take a deep breath and say let’s stay with what we’re doing.”

In 2001, students from Tumwater High combined with several other schools to form a Washington team that competed in Oregon State High School Equestrian Team (OHSET) events.  In 2006, WAHSET was formed, and the state split into three districts.  Now with six districts, the organization continues to gain in popularity and participation, a remarkable achievement for one of the programs founding schools.

“I would have never imagined when we started this that it would develop into what it is has,” Valentine said. “There are so many different people that are deeply involved now. It’s amazing.”

Thanks to Valentine’s idea to combine athletes from the area to create a larger team, girls with a love for horses from schools without a program have the opportunity to compete on a team.

“It was something that I’ve always wanted to try, to be involved with a team,” said Capital High School Junior Rachel Fenton. “Before, it was always individual, and now I have teammates cheering me on and supporting me.”

“At first it was weird because I didn’t know anyone, but immediately that changed because everyone was so friendly and welcoming,” said Rainier High School junior Mariah Holmes, a lead rider on the drill team.  “It’s been an awesome experience.”

Part of the reason that girls from outside high schools have had success is through the instruction and influences of Valentine and his dedicated staff of volunteer coaches.

“The (coaches) all know so much more than me, so I really try to take in everything they tell me,” said Tumwater High School junior Courtney Murphy, the team captain of cattle events. “I feel fortunate that they all spend their time coming to coach us.”

“I feel like that gives us an upper hand, because our coaches have been here for so long,” said McAferty. “They know how things are supposed to be done and that’s huge for our confidence.”

The members of the team return the favor to the coaches by developing into leaders and taking on more responsibilities.

“That’s something I preach a lot. As they grow up and become better riders, I expect them to leave a legacy and remember that when they’re frustrated with some of the new riders, that they themselves were in that very situation,” Valentine said.

“The coaches have given me the opportunity and the ability to lead and it’s important that we are a team, and not a bunch of cliques or individuals,” Kimborough said. “We want every person to be successful, because that makes a team successful, and that’s the role we take as leaders.”

Having pride in being a strong leader and a helpful teammate stems in part from the team’s respect for the past, and their determination to prepare for the future.

“I take the pride I have very seriously because people look at you for what Tumwater is about. They look at you to see how the Tumwater team is going to act, because that tradition is there,” Kimborough added.

For Valentine, the desire to coach is driven by his joy in seeing his team develop over time.

“The preparation is what I enjoy most,” Valentine said. “To see a group where some start barely able to ride a horse and eventually after hard work you see that success. That’s what it’s all about.”

The Tumwater High School Equestrian team will compete in three district meets prior to the state meet in May.  Last year, the drill team won its second consecutive state championship, by defeating Enumclaw 40-36, while earning the District 6 Large Team High Point Award.

For more information on WAHSET, visit. www.wahset.org.

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