Horses, Motorcycles and ATVs to Face Off at Oakville Event

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Who would win in a race on a traditional equestrian course: horses or vehicles?

This weekend in Oakville, all are welcome to find out at the Oakville Regional Event Center’s “Hooves vs. Wheels” event.

The fee per rider is $35, and attendance is free for members of the public. Competition begins at 9 a.m. on Sept. 11 at the event center’s arena, located at 7000 U.S. Highway 12, Oakville. Pre-registration is encouraged and on-site registration will open at 7 a.m.

For safety, horses and vehicles are never on the course at the same time and riders are timed individually.

Vehicles can be quads, dirt bikes or motorcycles. There is no limitation on engine size. According to Nick Cockrell, secretary and treasurer of the Oakville Regional Event Center, more horsepower in this event could actually be a disadvantage, causing vehicles to lose traction when going around obstacles. Side by sides (UTVs) are not allowed because they have a higher likelihood of rollovers when turning sharply around a corner.

This is the third year of Hooves vs. Wheels, and the first since 2019. Last time, the fastest run was clocked by a motorcyclist, beating a horse by only a few seconds. Knocking over a pole or barrel causes a five-second deduction.

“The horses are fairly agile,” Cockrell said. “Going around poles or going around barrels, that is not necessarily an advantage (for vehicles) because they may have to go wide to be able to complete the turn. And a lot of them are not experienced with obstacles.”

The competition is divided by age categories: 12 and under, 13 to 16, 17 to 33 or 34 and over. Currently, around 40 riders are expected to participate. Prizes will be rewarded to the winners of each age group and belt buckles will be given to riders of the overall fastest horse and vehicle.

“Hopefully (participants will) be able to look at this as a fun thing that they can practice over the winter time and springtime for another chance next year,” Cockrell said, adding later: “We want everybody to have a great time. We will have coffee and some snacks available for folks. We would welcome the public to come and sit in our grandstand and watch.”



The Oakville Regional Event Center is a nonprofit that works closely with the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and Grays Harbor County Tourism Board to put on community-focused, mostly equestrian events including rodeos and rodeo clinics. The center’s 120-by-240-foot arena has also hosted motorcycle shows, the Western Washington Doberman Club and a variety of other groups and events.

Nick Cockrell and his wife have had Arabian horses for 15 years, and have seen the benefits of raising horses for children firsthand.

“Families are wanting their kids to have an understanding of horses for a couple of reasons. One is that it focuses on the responsibility of caring for an animal,” he said.

“In our own family we've had children with autism and there's such a value of the movement and feeling of a horse and the ability for an autistic child to be able to have a different interaction with life.”

Likewise, the benefits of teaching kids to race motorcycles on courses, rather than flat dirt roads, encourage discipline and the development of riding skills including timing and balance, Cockrell said.

For more information, email oakvillerec@yahoo.com.