The Green Creek Hounds Halloween Hunter Pace was held on October 25, on the grounds owned by Jennifer and Roger Smith.

The weather was partly cloudy and slightly cool as the witches, ghosts and goblins arrived for the annual costumed ride. Dressing-up was not required, but many equestrians took advantage of the opportunity to show off their creative skills and the patience of their mounts.

Clowns, princesses, a fairy, a dragon, a knight, a sidesaddle lady, two hounds and Super Horse were among the equine styles. The trail was full of scary surprises as well as spooky riders.

There was a ghost section, a crow/vulture area, an alley of bats, a web of spiders and even Dr. Frankensteins monster. Most of the horses, thankfully, seemed to take these extra hazards in their stride.

The trail for the hilltoppers was about five miles long and the hunter pacers rode a few miles longer. This ride was the perfect first hunter pace for a young rider providing that the pony they were riding was well seasoned.

Many families with children took advantage of this traditional Halloween event.

The food was handled by Cindy Lupin with the help ofMatt Ketcham, Mel Brown, Jerry Budde and Robin Bracket on cooking duty. Dessert was an array of sweets decorated for the season all arranged by Barbara Ketcham and Pinckney Cochran and served by Barbara, Ilena Budde and Joan McIntyre.

The registration desk was staffed by Ruth Gold, M.J. McDonald, Susane Brown, Melinda Holland, Carla Tumbleson and Sally Sturdevant; the start box by Pat and Andy Foster and the half-way point volunteers were Anne Shue, Christie Heuman, Tom and Vicky Jackson, Nina Schug and Ginny Chibbaro.

The pace chairman was Dolores Erthal and the course designers were Christi Fowler and Pat Hale. Trail markers were Christi, Pat and Carla Tumbleson. The trail decorators were Baiba and Arthur Bourbeau and Beatrice Lamb and the flowers were provided by Ilena Budde.

Sheila and Harry Grymes provided the the tables and chairs&bsp; and, with help from Emmie Osborne, the tents. The BBQ grills belonged to Cory Gasperson and Charlie Erthal.

Thann Boyum was the vet on site and the pace was set by Bill Anderson and Karen Sennenwald. Emmie Osborne did the ribbons and flyer and the costume prizes were supplied by Nancy Reynolds and Pat Hale.

Debra Bundy and Karen Sennenwald sold t-shirts and Blanch Costa hung the posters. Charlie Erthal ran the shuttle to the halfway point and took care of incidentals.

The trail workers were: Christi Fowler, Charlie and Delores Erthal, Cindy and Ed Lubin, Dee and Jack Black, Nina Schug, Ginny Chibbaro, Mike and Roberta Axelrod, Kem Ketcham, Ric and Kathy Rondell, Deborah Bundy, Buck Matthews, Carla Tumbleson, Nancy Reynolds, Kathy Godsey, Carol Greata, Carolyne Groves, Emmie Osborne, Elaine and Hugh Hobbs, Paul Nordan, Jan Whitehurst, Susane Brown, Marge Warter, Ilena Budde, Sally Sturdevant, Tom Jackson and Pat Hale.

The costumes judges were Dee and Jack Black. The Grand Prize went to Vera Biggerstaff as Ms Scarlet OHara. They picked the Witches (team #366) as the Scariest, Sue McDaniels When Pigs Fly as the Funniest, Autumn Hoyles Momma Bee & Baby Bee as Best Non-Horse Animals, Michelle Klopps 60s Chick and Kathy Bethkas Pig in a Blanket as Most Original.

Also taking honors as Most Authentic were Kris Yon as 18th Century Southern Plantation Sidesaddle, Baiba Bourbeau & Beatrice Lamb as Musketeer & Buccaneer, and Lisa Postin as Indian Chick.

Best Horse title was split between Kathy Hodges, Jennifer Madison & Shawna Moore with their mounts as Two Clowns and a Pumpkin, Amanda Stickley as A Devil on Firey Horned Mount, and Karen Beckwith as Superman & Clark Kent.

Darbie Barr, as a Devil, and James Kennedy from The Hobbit were both audience favorites as the cutest kids.

The Field Hunter Division had a total of 86 riders with an optimum time of 1 hour, 33 minutes and 33 seconds and was won by the team of Rachel Johnston, Cindy and Karen Kaufman of Lincolnton, with a time of one hour, 32 minutes and 15 seconds.

Rodney Hawk of Asheville, and Eileen Taylor of Lake Toxaway were second at 1:35:01. Bill and Terry Boger from Simpsonville came in at 1:31:36 for third with Gail Patton from Seneca, and Debbie Thrasher of Anderson, in fourth place with a time of 1:35:50.

Fifth place was won by Sharon Carden from Elizabethton, TN, in 1:35:51; and sixth by Jana Hinely of Tryon, and Sue McDaniel from Landrum, who came in at 1:30:56. The teams of Judy Heinrich and Betty Hill of Columbus and Carolyne Groves and Hali Holloway from Simpsonville, received honorable mentions.

The Trail Rider division had 82 participants with an optimum calculated time of 1 hour, 35 minutes and 10 seconds and was won by Sabine Connors and Emeline McGee of Spartanburg, and Allison Neely from Lyman, with a time of one hour, 37 minutes and seven seconds.

Susan Carrier and Nancy Hasselbring of Columbus, came in second at 1:32:29. Third was a tie between Karen Graham and Rosy Schlueter from Tryon, and Donna and Leah Odom of Taylors, with a time of 1:37:55.

Boots and Sarah Plyler from Greenville, took fifth place at 1:38:03. Sixth was won by Josie Dickins of Columbus, and Michelle Klopp from Rutherfordton, in 1:32:15. Sandra Hyder of Landrum, and Teresa Johnson of Pickens, both received honorable mentions.

The Clemson Intercollegiate Eventing Team will host their event on November 22 followed by the Biltmore Equestrian Centers Hunter Pace on December 6.

Events will continue straight thru May with a short break for the holidays.

Check the website WCHPace.org for all upcoming events, news, articles, photos, placements and contact information.

For more photos, see tryondailybulletin.com.