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Galloping toward the finish line

Porter horse show allows for friendly competition

Photo by Jody Isaackson The Porter Trail Dusters Saddle Club hosted a horse show competition Sunday in the arena next to Bethel Lutheran Church in Porter.

PORTER — Competitors from as far away as South Dakota joined retired bull rider John Anderson of Minneota to compete in the Porter Trail Dusters Saddle Club horse show as part of its Harvest Fest celebration Sunday.

Anderson showed off his prowess as his horse acted up in one of the events and threw him. Anderson relied on his skills to deftly roll away from the bucking horse and get to his feet, said club president Leonard Drietz.

A young horse rider from Estelline, South Dakota, also suffered a frustrating incident with his paint pony. Before they could cross the starting line in a partnered event, the pony decided to lie down. The boy stepped off like a professional rider, encouraged his pony to stand up again, climbed back on and went on to complete the event. The timed event took him over 3 minutes to complete, but at least he got a time. Some entries were disqualified because they broke pattern.

Lucy Martin, 17, is Drietz’s granddaughter. She traveled from Anoka to ride in the horse show. Martin said she wished she could have spent more time working with her mount, Dakota, but since the horse belongs to her grandpa, there wasn’t much she could do about it.

“I like to be with my family and being outdoors and with my horse,” Martin said.

Claire Olsen, a junior in high school, arrived with her family from Deubrook, South Dakota.

She said they rode their horses every day, whether just around the section or in the arena working with the poles and barrels of the events they were now competing in.

“I’ve competed in this (club’s) show every year,” Olsen said. “I took second in egg and spoon and first in the speed dash.”

The egg and spoon event shows how smoothly the rider rides through several paces called out by a judge, ring man or announcer. The rider carries an egg on a tablespoon without touching the egg. If it falls off, the rider must leave the competition. The last one remaining is the winner.

Ellie Olsen took first place by being the last one carrying an egg in a spoon after going through the paces.

Olsen’s sister, Nora Olsen, 8, participated in events at her age level and also in the four-in-a-line. She took first place in the keyhole event for her age group.

The keyhole event is where a rider charges down through a tunnel made of eight poles, four on each side, spins a 360 turnaround and runs back through the passageway to cross the finish line for a time. The quickest time wins.

The four-in-a-line is a timed event that has the four riders run their horses through four poles, around three barrels and back through the poles, weaving as they go. Knocking over poles or barrels costs either points or causes disqualification. It is also required to stay in the order in which they entered the contest field.

Olsen also took first place in the bucket event where riders lope their horses down to the other end of the field and drop a softball into the bucket. Missing the bucket causes a “no time” score, which is tantamount to being disqualified.

Olsen put her the ball into the bucket in 11.46 seconds, about five seconds faster than her cousin Ben Drietz, who took second place with 16.342.

Winners were awarded show ribbons for their accomplishments.

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