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R.O. Hardin student Bethanny Fernandez and her pony PP Whiskers emerged as one of the big winners at the California Gymkhana Association’s 52nd annual State Championship Finals at Bolado Park from July 18-26.
The 10-year-old Fernandez won a belt buckle for winning her division in the Big T, which is a timed speed horseback riding event where horse and rider weave through a “T” shaped pattern of poles and barrels.
Fernandez is a relatively new competitor who also competes in area rodeos including the upcoming Gilroy Rodeo, according to her mother Stephanie Fernandez.
Gymkhana is described as a mounted competition in which riders and their horses display their horsemanship and teamwork through precise, controlled actions at high speeds.
The state finals features 13 different times events requiring skill and speed, with competitors vying in various divisions and age groups based on the combined skill of both riders and their horse or pony.
General manager Marnie Nessen said this year’s event saw an increase in attendance over last year’s, and it drew a total of 238 competitors.
Each winner in all 13 divisions won a saddle certificate worth $975 as a top prize, Nessen said.
The state finals have been held at Bolado Park since 1990.
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