THE CLARK COUNTY FAIR Mounted Patrol also ride in local parades. Sarah Fadness (left) and Sarah Heeley (right) lead the group in the Battle Ground Harvest Days Parade.
CHARLES COWAN rides his horse across a bridge during last year’s Trail Trials event. This year’s event will be held July 13.
BABETTE TERRY, a member of the Clark County Fair Mounted Patrol, patrols the parking lots at the Clark County Fair.
The Clark County Fair Mounted Patrol will hold its 10th annual Trail Trials fundraiser Sat., July 13, at the Zumstein Family Farm, 41316 NE 12th Ave., Woodland. This is an annual fundraising event for the patrol.
The event will begin with sign in at 8 a.m., first ride at 9 a.m. and last ride will take place at noon.
Sarah Fadness, a member of the Clark County Fair Mounted Patrol, said this event typically draws in about 50-70 participants and is a competitive trail ride emphasizing safety and good horsemanship. The event consists of a trail ride of 1-2 hours with about 12-14 obstacles for both horse and rider to negotiate along the way. Fadness said obstacles will include hills, creek, bridge, logs, railroad crossing and more, things a rider might possibly encounter naturally while riding their horse.
The event is open to participants in three different class levels, youth (ages 12-17); adult (18 and older); and extreme trail course.
Along with the trail course, the Trail Trials event will also include an arena course with several different obstacles and a pancake feed breakfast. Fadness said the arena obstacle course and pancake feed will go to support the Whipple Creek restoration fund and the Wrinkled Wranglers group.
Funds raised at the main Trail Trials event will go towards scholarships, to support the Clark County Fair Court and the Rodeo Court, decorations for the horse barn at the fair, other supplies related to the fair and any other ways they can help the horse community.
Prizes will be given in all categories and are all horse-related items, including some head stalls, a stock trough, grooming tote, a Professional’s Choice therapeutic saddle pad and many more. Fadness said prizes will be given to the top-three winners in all three categories.
Cost to enter the Trail Trials is $25 for youth (helmets required), $30 for adult and $40 for the extreme trail course. Entry forms can be downloaded at https://sites.google.com/site/ccfmptrailtrials/entry-form. The form should then be sent to 312 Wyman Rd., Woodland, WA 98674, with checks made payable to CCFMP.
The Clark County Fair Mounted Patrol was started in 1976 and is associated with the Clark County Fair. The group, which currently has about 50 members, patrols the parking lots during the fair each year on horseback.
“We like to also consider ourselves the face of the fair as we are the first thing people see when they get there and the last thing they see when they leave,” Fadness said. “Kids also love to come say ‘hi’ to our horses and pet them.”
The mounted patrol members also park cars on foot and horseback at the Fort Vancouver Rodeo. They also raise money for the Clark County Executive Horse Council scholarship fund and help donate money to support the Fair Court and Rodeo Court.
Anyone interested in possibly joining the Clark County Fair Mounted Patrol can get more information by showing up at one of their meetings, held the second Monday of each month, January to July, 7 p.m., at Pied Piper Pizza, 12300 NE 4th Plain Rd., Vancouver. Those interested can also visit the group’s members at the Clark County Fair in the red horse stall barn by the horse arena, or call Brent Skill at (360) 837-3482. Members must be 21 or older and have a safe, responsive horse in crowds and noise, and be willing to wear the club uniform.
