Equine finery

Horses and riders overcome obstacles at the islandwide Aloha State Games contest

Ignore all those "Road Closed" signs and just follow your nose -- there's a stable well hidden in the folds of the Barbers Point Golf Course. In one of the few areas still owned by the U.S. Navy, dozens of horses are stabled in World War II-era bombproof revetments that once held Wildcats and Buffalos.

Equestrian winners First-place winners of the Aloha State Games 2006, with name of horse, followed by rider. Hunter: Bee Ready Starbert, Dember Allen (novice); Candyman, Samantha Tatum (youth and open) Over Fences: Bee Ready Starbert, Dember Allen (novice); Silver Lining, Elizabeth Finney (youth); Cloud Nine, Natalie Huso (open) Hunter Hack: Bee Ready Starbert, Dember Allen (novice and youth); A Pleasant Suprise, Michelle Mizutani (open) English Pleasure: Bee Ready Starbert, Dember Allen (novice and youth); Cloud Nine, Natalie Huso (open) Dressage Suitability: Liberty, Sarah Spearman (novice); Lady Dillingham, Alice Revere (open) Walk/Trot: Roscoe Piko Train, Haven Mizutani (novice) Trail: Bee Ready Starbert, Dember Allen (novice and youth); Bar Lena Bay, Harrison Chong (open) Western Pleasure: Bee Ready Starbert, Dember Allen (novice and youth); Bar Lena Bay, Harrison Chong (open) Stock Seat Equitation: Bee Ready Starbert, Dember Allen (novice and youth); Kay Cee Me Shine, Harrison Chong (open) Reining: Miss Mitze Jo, Michele Kirito (novice); Bee Ready Starbert, Dember Allen (youth); Como de Colonel, Steve Dollar (open) Western Riding: Just Plain Sugar, Jessica Keawe-Reuter (novice) Barrels: Bee Ready Starbert, Dember Allen (youth); Shaka, Sarah Keawe (open) Poles: Bee Ready Starbert, Dember Allen (youth); Shaka, Sarah Keawe (open)

On Saturday the Barbers Point Riding Club hosted the Aloha State Games, an islandwide sports competition for horses and riders, and a good excuse for horse fanciers to stop by and watch well-trained equestrians strut their stuff.

The club was created in 1985 and survived the 1999 base closure. The horses are privately owned and cannot be rented; it's not that kind of stable. The area is dry and dusty, with a dense surrounding of matted kiawe forest, but the paddocks are large and set up for various types of training, including English, Western and Gymkhana. These divisions formed the various fields in the competition.

Entrants were of all ages and genders, although there's a definite skewing toward adolescent girls. No matter how well trained the horses, they're still big animals, occasionally with minds of their own. The first paragraph of the entrants' liability waiver states bluntly, "The risk of injury from the activities involved in these Games is significant."

But it's not auto racing or skydiving. The emphasis is on control and skill, with horses and riders -- think of them as a team -- entered in categories such as Western Pleasure, Youth Hunter, Open Equitation over Fences, Novice English Pleasure, Youth Dressage Suitability, Trail, Stock Seat, Reining and Youth Barrels. "In all classes, manners will be emphasized and extreme speed will be penalized. ... It is imperative that the horse gives the distinct appearance of being a pleasure to ride and display a pleasurable attitude. To this end all gaits must be performed with willingness and obvious ease, cadence, balance and smoothness," note the rules.

And to an untrained observer, the horses all did what they're supposed to do. Except that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him step in it. The Trail division course featured a fetid puddle that the horse was supposed to cross. Some horses flat-out refused; all the others had to be urged to reluctantly clop right on into the stinking muck. Which means, of course, a horse is a horse and not nearly as dumb as your dog tells you.