Barbara Lawlor, Gilpin County.  Last Saturday, the culmination of the Gilpin Belt Buckle Series gymkhanas was filled with drama as riders tried to complete the series courses without making a mistake and with going as fast as they could to beat other contestants time.

There was some balking, some backing up, some refusals and some exceptional performances on the part of both the horses and the riders.

At the end of the day, five competitors went home with the coveted buckle: Aliyah Boogard won the Pee Wee Division on Kenai, with 52 points.

Rowan Nasty won the Junior Division on Velvet with 64 points

Jordan Hansen won the Intermediate Division on Spirit with 66 points.

Stuart Schultz won the Senior Novice Division on Zip with 55 points.

Denise Loos won the Senior Advanced Division on Junior with 70 points.

The buckles were earned by points accumulated in three gymkhanas.

This was Aliyah’s Boogard’s first year of competing in the 4-8 year old category and she was delighted with her buckle. Denise Loos won the Senior Advanced Division and this year’s buckle will be added to the many others she earned over the years. She says she and Nancy Mulholland have been neck to neck in the competitions for most of their lives and she loves to coming to compete in the Gilpin Gymkhanas.