For several Woodland High School students, the journey to the Washington State High School Equestrian Championships began not with years of riding experience, but with a leap into the unknown and a fierce determination to learn fast.
Five Woodland students—Francisco Dejesus-Celestino (senior), Maia Taylor (sophomore), Makenna Burrows (sophomore), Kaitlyn Rose (senior), and Taryn Egan (sophomore)—qualified for and competed at the 2025 state competition in Moses Lake. This was their first season on the team and their first trip to state for Francisco, Maia and Makenna.
A sixth team member, senior Nora Taylor, qualified for state but did not compete due to her role as Planters Days Queen, which required her participation in a parade the same weekend.
The path to state ran through three district meets held monthly from February through April. Riders could qualify for state either by placing in the top three in at least two meets or by earning enough points across events.
The team competed in three district meets in February, March and April. Riders qualified for state by placing in the top three in at least two meets or accumulating a high enough point total.
“I actually never knew about that before,” said Francisco, describing how he joined. “But this year… Kaitlyn invited me over to come over here to ride the horses, and she ended up convincing me to join the team, and I’m glad I did.”
Francisco, who had never worked with animals before, competed in the cart-driving event with a miniature named Tilly and placed 10th at state.
“I feel like I built a wonderful connection with them,” he said. “They definitely do enjoy me around them.”
He was also awarded a district-wide leadership buckle at the final meet in Elma, Washington, an honor voted on by coaches, teammates, and officials across all teams.
“That was one of my greatest moments,” he said. “I accomplished a lot this year.”
Sophomore Maia Taylor also began the year with no riding background. “I’ve always been interested in horses, and this was just a really great opportunity for me to [get] to know them,” she said.
Maia competed in in-hand obstacle relay (IHOR), a four-person team event where riders guide horses through timed challenges on foot. She partnered with a pony named Magic. Woodland’s IHOR team placed 13th at state.
“Magic… he was a little feisty,” Maia said. “It was also fun throughout that experience to be able to have a relationship with him.”
Asked to describe his personality, coach Taliah Riggs added: “He’s definitely got some attitude… I consider him having like ADHD but for horses.”
Coach Angie Egan praised the grit and growth of the mostly first-year team.
“They’ve just been working like crazy to get there,” she said. “Maya, Nora, and Francisco had all never been around horses before this year, so they worked super hard to get where they were.”
The coaching staff, which includes Angie Egan, Lisa Keys and Taliah Riggs, emphasized the challenge of pairing riders with the right horses.
“It really depends on rider and horse personalities,” Riggs said. “Some of our horses like a calm and quiet rider… some like a little more energy.”
Another challenge came from financing the team’s trip to regionals and state. Students organized Easter egg hunts, sold meat sticks, and attended local festivals, raising about $2,000 for the season.
Looking back, Francisco said he wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
“I definitely loved this year that I had, I loved meeting all the girls,” he laughed. “My coaches were amazing, and the ponies. Can’t forget about Tilly.”
