Thirty-five performers took part in the Meadow Creek Equestrian Vaulting Club Funfest southeast of Olds on Nov. 29, despite bitterly cold weather in the region that day.
“It was a fun setting for the kids to perform in front of family and friends and for the audience to come out and see what vaulting is all about,” said vaulting head coach and competitor Jeanine van der Sluijs. “We definitely had a good turnout despite the weather. We had lots of people come out to watch.”
Vaulting is a sport that combines dance- and gymnastic-type movements on a moving horse, she explained.
“At the lower levels the kids perform at the walk and trot and then as they get stronger and more comfortable on the horses, they actually proceed to perform at the canter,” she said.
“They perform a routine to music and it is all choreographed. An individual routine is about a minute long.”
The vaulting itself took place in the Creekside Equestrian Centre, which is located at the Van der Sluijs Dairy eight kilometres south of Highway 27 on Rge. Rd. 284.
“It is the first time we've run the event and we haven't decided yet if we are going to keep it an annual event,” she said.
