Equal parts strength and coordination, vaulting is challenging enough before adding a horse into the mix.
This weekend, boys and girls took to the ring at the Cowichan Sportsplex to deliver their best poses and moves on their four-legged teammates for the mixed equestrian vaulting competition.
Relying on an animal to deliver top points in a sport can come with its fair share of challenges – a possibility Nelson’s Cloe Comstock knows well.
The Zone 1 (Kootenay) athlete first began vaulting seven years ago, because it looked like a fun sport and another way for the teen to bond with horses, she told the BC Games Society.
But after she suffered a broken arm in a riding accident, Comstock was forced to take some time away from her team, the Koot-Neigh, to mend.
Returning to the ring, Comstock competed against eight other athletes at the top of their game, including Danae Moore of Langley, who went into the Games ranked second in the province.
During the final on Sunday, riders competed at canter pace and were required to do one round of compulsory moves followed by a freestyle performance set to music.
The performances were judged on technique, harmony with the horse and performance. Meanwhile, the horses are judged on obedience, turnout and quality of gait.
Moore, of Zone 3 (Fraser Valley) earned gold, with a score of 6.449, followed by Comstock in second place with a score of 6.379. Abbotsford’s Hailey Besse, also Zone 3, was not far behind with a score of 6.35.
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