The Emerald City Vaulting Coach
Deanna Buffum has been working with animals all her life. As a young person growing up on her grandparents' Thoroughbred ranch in Nevada, Deanna bred, trained, and showed dogs in obedience, winning many ribbons for her work. That led her to attend animal-grooming school, from which she graduated in 1985. Since 1993, she has owned her own grooming business in Gig Harbor, WA.
Deanna also found she had a knack for working with special-needs children and became a licensed foster parent. She uses some of those same skills in her outstanding work with wild horses. After years of attending vaulting practice with her two current foster children, Deanna decided to obtain her certificate with the EVA of BC as an equestrian vaulting trainer, which she did in 2004. Deanna brings her unique skills of working with special-needs children, wild horses, and animals of all kinds to her coaching of the Emerald City Vaulters.
Deanna lives in Lakebay, WA, where she owns and breeds American Bashkir Curly horses.
Lori Robison
Tamea C. Denault, is a founder and coach of the Emerald City Vaulting Team in Lakebay, WA. While earning her degree in psychology and education at Mount Holyoke College, she also learned vaulting and has continued vaulting and coaching for the past 15 years. In 2000, she certified with the EVA of BC as an Equestrian Vaulting Trainer. She hosts the Emerald City Vaulters Spring Fest every April. She is also a CHA-certified riding instructor. Vaulting teaches balance, poise, and control in motion, and Tamea uses these skills to manage Dreamswept Farm's multitude of
activities---boarding, breeding American Bashkir Curly horses, training, conducting guided packing trips to
the mountains, and raising purebred American Pit Bull Terriers.
In between all those activities, she manages to read extensively (horse manuals and science
fiction) and volunteers for Peninsula Mounted Search and Rescue for the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. When time allows between camps and clinics, teaching and training, she relaxes by taking a long-awaited personal packing trip into the Olympics and Cascades. Recently Tammy moved to Kettle Falls, Washington, and is coaching the Mountainwind Vaulters.
Jodi Dohmen was the head coach of the Kent and Buckley branches of the Emerald City Vaulters and was one of the club's founders in 1990. She learned to vault at Mount Holyoke College and has been vaulting, competing, and coaching for many years. She passed her American Vaulting Association Silver Medal in 1998. She coached the Albuquerque vaulters to the 1999 AVA Trot Team National Championship. In real life, Jodi works for a CPA firm. Her other activities include, volleyball, skiing, time in the gym, and a passion for reading science fiction.
In 2002, Jodi moved to Boulder, Colorado, where she currently coaches the Mile High Vaulters.
Ginger Dohmen was the Emerald City Vaulters' assistant coach. She was one of the first Emerald City Vaulters and has been vaulting since the age of 5. She has competed at the local, regional, and national levels and has passed her American Vaulting Association Silver Medal test. When not vaulting, Ginger plays flute and volleyball and loves to ski. She moved to Colorado to attend college and helps her sister coach the Mile High Vaulters in Boulder.