W.F. West equestrian team wins state championship

The W.F. West equestrian team returned from the Washington state equestrian championships in Moses Lake earlier this month as state champions for the first time since 2008 and the second time in the team's history.

W.F. West’s equestrian team is composed of 17 riders from Centralia, Napavine, W.F. West, Onalaska, Winlock, Adna, Mossyrock and Toledo.

In Moses Lake, the team earned the medium school team high point award, meaning they earned the most points per competing athlete for medium schools over the four days of competition.

W.F. West’s working pairs teams also brought home a gold medal (Alice Venters, freshman, and Anya Lyon, sophomore) and a bronze medal (Emma Engstrom, junior, and Isabel Thompson, senior).

Alice Venters also brought home a bronze medal in driving, and Maizy Samuelson, senior, brought home a bronze medal in trail equitation.

All top five finishers will compete against Oregon's best athletes at the Pacific Northwest Invitational Championship in Moses Lake in June, which also includes Amelia Venters, junior, in driving, Isabel Thompson, senior, in huntseat equitation, saddleseat equitation and dressage.

Amelia Venters, junior, also qualified in dressage. W.F. West’s versatility team (Maizy Samuelson, Emma Engstrom, Amelia Venters and Isabel Thompson) also qualified for PNWIC.

W.F. West’s short program drill team (Isabel Thompson, Emma Engstrom, Ellie Morhous, a junior, Izzie Hench, a sophomore, Alayna Elder, sophomore, and Amelia Venters) will also be moving on to PNWIC.

The state championships were put on by Washington High School Equestrian Teams (WAHSET).