Equestrian sports: Sequim, PA athletes team up for district title

By Michael Dashiell • April 20, 2022 1:30 am
Sequim Equestrian Team members are all smiles after a successful third district meet in early April. Pictured, from left, are Libby Swanberg, Mia Kirner and Joanna Seelye. Submitted photo

Rivalry? What rivalry?

With relatively small turnout for teams at both schools, Sequim and Port Angeles equestrians were allowed to combine their squads for team events in 2022 and the effort paid off in a big way, as the combined Sequim-PA squad earned the WAHSET District 4 small team title following the third and final district meet of the season held April 7-10 in Grays Harbor.

“Our team, both individuals and our combo team events, did awesome,” Sequim coach Katie Salmon-Newton said.

Sequim’s Libby Swanberg and Port Angles’ Sydney Hutton each earned individual first place finishes at the district meet (Swanberg in breakway roping, Hutton in jumping) and the pair combined to place first in working pairs.

All six team members from the two schools have earned individual or team berths to the state finals, set for May 19-22 in Moses Lake, by virtue of district medals or state alternate honors.

For Sequim, Swanberg earned a gold medal in breakaway roping, silver medals in figure eight, individual flags, jumping, reining and working rancher, and a bronze in daubing. Swanberg also teamed with Hutton to earn a gold in working pairs, and with Port Angeles’ Maggie Anderson for a silver in team sorting.

Sequim teammate Joanna Seelye joined Swanberg, Anderson and Hutton for a silver medal in freestyle fours, and is a state alternate in individual flags. Sequim’s Mia Kirner and Seelye are state alternates in working pairs.

For Port Angeles, Hutton earned a gold in jumping and bronze in hunstseat equitation; she’s a state alternate in dressage. PA’s Haley Bishop earned a bronze in pole bending and is a state alternate in reining, while Anderson is a state alternate in working rancher. Anderson, Bishop, Hutton and Swanberg earned a bronze in team versatility.

Anderson and Bishop are state alternates in two-man birangle, as is the combined squad’s team Canadian flags quintet of Anderson, Bishop, Hutton, Seelye and Swanberg.

Sequim/Port Angeles results, District 4 meet, April 7-10:

• Individual events

Barrels — 13. Maggie Anderson (PA), 18. Joanna Seelye (Sequim), 31. Mia Kirner (Sequim)

Daubing — 2. Anderson, 10. Libby Swanberg (Sequim)

Dressage — 5. Sydney Hutton (PA), 13. Kirner

Figure 8 — 4. Swanberg, 5. Anderson, 11. Hutton, 22. Seelye, 30. Kirner

Hunstseat Equitation — 6. Hutton

In-Hand Trail — 18. Kirner

Individual Flags — 2. Swanberg, 4. Seelye, 8. Hutton

Jumping — 1. Hutton, 3. Swanberg

Keyhole — 7. Seelye

Pole Bending — 14. Anderson, 17. Swanberg

Reining — 2. Haley Bishop (PA), 3. Swanberg

Showmanship — 17. Kirner

Working Rancher — 4. Anderson, 5. Swanberg

• Team events

Freestyle 4’s Drill — 1. Anderson-Hutton-Swanberg-Seelye

In-Hand Obstacle Relay/IHOR — 4. Anderson-Hutton-Seelye-Swanberg

Team Sorting — 2. Anderson-Swanberg, 15. Kirner-Seelye

Team Versatility — 6. Anderson-Bishop-Hutton-Swanberg

Two-Man Birangle — 3. Seelye-Swanberg, 15. Hutton-Kirner

Working Pairs — 1. Hutton-Swanberg, 6. Kirner-Seelye

Sequim and Port Angeles equestrian team members celebrate a District 4 small team title in Grays Harbor earlier this month. Pictured are (in back) Joanna Seelye of Sequim, (middle row, from left) Maggie Anderson of Port Angeles and Libby Swanberg of Sequim, with (front row, from left) Port Angeles’ Sydney Hutton, Sequim’s Mia Kirner and Port Angeles’ Haley Bishop. Submitted photo