THE ISLAND 22 EQUESTRIAN PARK

Two local equestrian vaulters have become Canada's first national champions after Chilliwack hosted the Canadian Equestrian Vaulting Championships and B.C. Provincial Championships last weekend. Alisa Porter and her brother Colin Schmidt of the Cheam Vaulters took home the top national honors for women and men in the highest division (Division AA canter).

Chilliwack was well represented at all levels of the event. In the National Division A canter class Chelsey Wierks placed fourth in her first competition at the national level. In the B.C. Provincial Championship (Division B canter), Cheam's Darla Ricka and Shelby Maletz-Comm placed third and fourth respectively. At the Division C canter level Cheam's Abigale Wynberg placed fourth and Rianna Stiller of Chilliwack's Savvy Vaulters placed seventh.

In Division D canter, which is the qualifying division for the 2010 B.C. Summer Games, Andrea McDougall of the Cheam Vaulters placed seventh. Andrea is the highest ranked vaulter in Division D canter from the Fraser Valley and therefore qualifies to represent this zone at next summer's B.C. Games. This will be the first time equestrian vaulting is included in the Summer Games.

At the walk level, Chilliwack was well represented by Cheam's Ayelet Gruber who placed first in Division D walk and Alexis Hamilton who placed seventh in the same class. Sierra Pankonin was seventh in Division C walk. Levi Pankonin demonstrated her vaulting skills in the demo class for the competition's youngest vaulters.

In the stationary barrel competition, Cheam's advanced barrel team wowed the crowd and placed first in a very competitive class. Awarded first place for their advanced gymnastics skills on the barrel was the team of Jenn Sedler, Lori Wallden, Chesley Wierks, Darla Ricka, Abigale Wynberg and Alisa Porter, who also coaches the group. Jasmyne Stainton of the Savvy Vaulters placed seventh in both the costume freestyle class and the intermediate freestyle class on the stationary barrel.

As well, one of the Cheam Vaulters' mounts, Travler, a Shire-Saddlebred cross owned by Alisa Porter, was awarded the perpetual trophy in honor of B.C.'s top vaulting horse.