By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Chloe Carman is no stranger to competing in the Versatility competition at the county fair and her experience showed Thursday afternoon.
For nearly two hours Carman and four other competitors – Morgan Lambert, Sara Misura, Katie Ruffener, and Emma Studer – were not allowed to leave the horse arena where they competed in five events. The riders began the contest with English Showmanship followed by English Equitation. At that point riders could choose to compete in the Trail portion of the competition in their English attire or switch to their Western wear. After Trail came Western Pleasure followed by Cones and Barrels. They have seven minutes between events to prepare for the next contest and water their horses.
Carman took home first-place honors with her horse, Zoey, in English Equitation, Trail, and Cones and Barrels. She finished third in English Showmanship and second in Western Pleasure. Those placings were enough for her to finish at the top of the pack and win the Versatility competition.
“It was actually pretty hard because I had a lot of competition,” Carman said. “I’m really proud of my horse.”
Carman said it is not easy competing in Versatility.
“It’s actually kind of crazy,” she said. “You only have seven minutes to get ready for it and so you’re nervous because if you’re not ready you can get disqualified from that event. But it’s kind of fun in the process.”
Carman, a member of the Young Riders 4-H Club, said her favorite event to compete in is English Equitation. She has been riding since she was in second grade and now competes on the American Quarter Horse Circuit.
“The horses are also really special,” Carman said. “It’s another personality and you can really connect with the horse.”
The final standings are as follows: 1st Chloe Carman, 2nd Katie Ruffener, 3rd Sara Misura, 4th Emma Studer, and 5th Morgan Lambert.