Riders compete for Silver Buckle prize

Ginger Moonen and other volunteers, along with support from Wahkiakum County Fair Manager Patricia Dursteler, are bringing back a riding event, the Silver Buckle Series.

There were three opportunities to compete this year and there are plans to have six competitions next year, three during the winter and three more in the summer.

Several local sponsors stepped up to provide prizes. Sam Longtain donated eight loads of dirt for the arena.

"We couldn't have put the show on without them," Moonen said. "We actually didn't have any out of pocket expenses. It was all done with donations."

All the money they raise from entry fees goes to the fair and Moonen hopes that part of the money will go toward maintenance and paint for the horse barn. She would also like to see more dirt in the arena and eventually a tool to groom the arena.

"If we could get that ground in shape more people would come," she said.

At the first Silver Buckle competition this year, there were 11 competitors. Nineteen showed up at the second event and on Saturday at the fair, there were nearly 30. Participants are coming from Longview and farther north, the beach, Scappoose and locally, according to Moonen.

Competitors earn points at each event, and need to attend two to qualify for the Silver Buckle, which the person with the most points wins.

Four young ladies had never ridden before and each got a chance to sit on a horse while a volunteer walked them through the course for time this weekend.

"There is just not enough here for kids," Moonen said. "We have a beautiful facility down there. I have had four or five kids come to me this year wanting to ride horses. My big thing is trying to get kids involved again in a healthy environment, where they can learn responsibility and tenderness, to take care of their animals."

At some point, she'd like to buy a therapy saddle for disabled kids who live in the area and give them a chance to enjoy a ride, build a little strength and a lot of confidence.

But she also wants to generate money for the fair. A couple volunteers have shown interest in putting on riding clinics, which could help as well.

"My main goal is to have the fairgrounds in use and make it productive for the fair," Moonen said. "I want to see it generating money for the fair."

For now, she's got the Winter Silver Buckle series to think about.

"I've got a lot of work ahead of me between now and January," Ginger said. "If it wasn't for my husband, Stewart or my step-daughter, Stephanie, I couldn't have done it."

Torin Antijunti won the Silver Buckle.