Sister act

Ashlynn Meuchel, 14, (left) and her sister Brynn Meuchel, 17, pose for a portrait with their horses Private Andrew Malone, 9, Madison Lane, 14, and Northwest Rebellion, 19, (left to right) during The Event at Rebecca Farm Thursday afternoon. The future Glacier High School freshmen and senior, whose parents own Ashley Creek Stables south of Kalispell, competed in the Jr. Open Novice and Jr. Open Training Dressage. Allison Money/Daily Inter Lake

| July 24, 2009 12:00 AM

Meuchels compete in Jr. Open Dressage

By DILLON TABISH

The Daily Inter Lake

Thanks to his two teenage daughters, Craig Meuchel now knows what Dressage is.

The Montana native never had horses growing up, but his wife Kelli always had a fondness for them. Then when daughters Brynn and Ashlynn showed an interest, he bought them a pony.

Next thing he knew, he was watching his girls compete summer after summer in world-class eventing competitions.

"I never imagined we'd be involved in the horse world like we are," Meuchel said on Thursday after watching his girls compete on the opening day of The Event at Rebecca Farm. "I wasn't even aware of this until a few years ago."

The field of 490 riders, made up of former Olympians and World Cup competitors along with local amateurs like the Meuchels, suited up for the 8th annual equestrian triathlon, as it's been called. On Day 1, athletes took to Dressage - a test of control and movement between a horse and its rider, who are judged on a series of walks and trots around a rectangular arena.

The competition continues today with Dressage and Novice Cross Country. The Event, which is the only HSBC FEI World Cup eventing final in the country this year, finishes on Sunday with Show Jumping.

On Thursday, Brynn, 17, rode her thoroughbred Northwest Rebellion in the Jr. Open Training section and came away feeling relieved to be done.

"It's always my worst event so I was really nervous, and we've been working really hard on it so I was ready to get it over with," said Brynn, riding in The Event for the third straight summer. "The nerves were definitely there."

Earlier in the day, Ashlynn, 14, competed in two separate classes of the Jr. Open Novice division and came away feeling good after having a nice show in the A class with her horse Private Andrew Malone, a nine-year-old black paint.

It hasn't always been smooth riding with the Private, either, Ashlynn said.

Unlike other sports, eventing requires an odd-couple partnership. For Ashlynn, it's taken three years now, and it's become more than that.

"I really like the friendship with them," Ashlynn said while grooming her other horse, Maddie.

"They're not just horses, they're also friends. Especially with this guy, who's taken a lot of work … He's just convinced himself that jumping is a good thing."

Brynn, who will be a senior at Glacier High School next fall as Ashlynn enters high school as a freshman, said competing at The Event is something she hopes to do for as long as she can, but not always as an amateur.

"It's really cool to walk down the barn isle and be like 'Oh, that's an Olympian.' You're within a feet of them," Brynn said.

The girls will watch world class riders like Amy Tryon, and imagine getting the courage to go up afterward and talk to them, but it hasn't quite happened yet.

"My dream is to go to the Olympics. I don't know if it will happen," Brynn said.

With the help of mom and dad, that dream is still possible. When the girls started riding in earnest at a young age, Craig and Kelli bought Ashley Creek Stables, a boarding and training facility in Kalispell.

"These girls have spent a lot of time on those horses to get to this point, because you don't get to just hop on a horse and ride at this level," Craig said.

"It takes a lot of time, a lot of training, and a lot of effort. So it's good for them, I think."

Plus, along the way a pretty strong bond was built between the sisters, even if it came to be in rather messy way.

"It's a family operation (at the stables), so the girls have to work there, that's their summer and weekend job," Kelli said.

"And they have to clean out the paddocks and clean out all the stalls, so they have figured out how to work together. Otherwise it doesn't get done and mom gets mad."

The Event at Rebecca Farm

Thursday's Results

Dressage