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Ride 'Em Cowboy
Columbia County Riding Club has first day of events
By MARIO SARMENTO msarmento@lakecityreporter.com
On a bone-numbingly cold Saturday, several dozen people came in their trucks and trailers to Eagle's Nest Ranch to watch the first day of Columbia County Riding Club events since the club was restarted.
"We didn't know what it was going to be like," Riding Club President and founder Janice Summers said. "We've got a big crowd out, and we're happy we got a crowd as big as we got."
The pee-wee event started at 4 p.m., with young children who were just starting to ride participating in timed events such as the arena race, the Texas barrels, poles and cloverleafs.
For non-riders, the arena race consists of a rider who must go around one barrel before coming back to the starting gate.
Riders must weave around three barrles in the Texas barrels event, then they must weave through five poles in the poles race, and they must negotiate three barrels set in a clover shape in the cloverleaf race.
The first day's events were for fun, and ribbons were given to those who finished in first, second and third place.
The children's' events were followed by the older kids and adults participating in the same categories in the main event at 6 p.m.
Riders navigated the large course while their parents and loved ones watched from the bleachers that were separated by the long white fence. Outside the course, riders took horses of different colors and sizes across the grounds in an effort to be more comfortable with the animals.
Some horses were tied to their trailers as a slim few braved the cold by staying indoors until it was their time to ride.
"Some of them are their own horses, and some of them are not," Summers said. Summers provided some of the horses she uses to teach riding lessons at her home.
Anthony Norris is one of those who came to the ranch to watch the festivities. His oldest daughter Zoe, who has been riding for a couple of months, was leading his nephew Andrew's pony, Sambo.
She said Sambo was a "very pretty horse to look at, and so is its sister." That would be Rain, who was being ridden by another child who was a beginner. Zoe rides a big horse named Little Man, and she took part in the pee-wee event in the afternoon.
Zoe said her favorite part of riding a horse is that "you can train and do anything that you want to with him."
Norris, who has been riding since he was a kid, is happy the Riding Club has returned.
"Definitely," he said. "It can't do anything but help. It gives them something to do. It teaches the kids responsibility, taking care of the animals. I could go on and on."
Four-year-old Devin Adams was a bit reluctant to talk about his first time riding, but as he rode Sambo he said his favorite part of riding was that it was "fun."
Lesley Blakley, 6, already has his own horse, a miniature horse named Dr. Pepper.
His grandmother, Riding Club secretary Deborah Blakley, said, "If we can find him a really gentle, well-broke sound horse," Lesley can ride a bigger one in the future. Lesley's parents were on hand to watch as grandmother led grandson during the Texas barrels portion of the event.
Summers hopes this is just the start of what could become a big Riding Club experience.
"The county's donated 10 acres already, and then they're going to donate us 10 more hopefully," Summer said. "Then we've got a $2 million arena that's going to be built. And it's going to be a covered arena for handicapped. We're going to have big facilities. It's going to have RV hookups. It's really going to be a nice place. We're going to have 100 horse stalls."
That facility will be located at Winfield. Events will take place on the first and last Saturdays of each month, and in the future Summers plans to have events like team roping.
Summers said the response as been "wonderful" since word got out the club was re-starting.
And from the smiles on the faces of the children and the parents who watched them, braving the cold was a good thing.
By MARIO SARMENTO msarmento@lakecityreporter.com
On a bone-numbingly cold Saturday, several dozen people came in their trucks and trailers to Eagle's Nest Ranch to watch the first day of Columbia County Riding Club events since the club was restarted.
"We didn't know what it was going to be like," Riding Club President and founder Janice Summers said. "We've got a big crowd out, and we're happy we got a crowd as big as we got."
The pee-wee event started at 4 p.m., with young children who were just starting to ride participating in timed events such as the arena race, the Texas barrels, poles and cloverleafs.
For non-riders, the arena race consists of a rider who must go around one barrel before coming back to the starting gate.
Riders must weave around three barrles in the Texas barrels event, then they must weave through five poles in the poles race, and they must negotiate three barrels set in a clover shape in the cloverleaf race.
The first day's events were for fun, and ribbons were given to those who finished in first, second and third place.
The children's' events were followed by the older kids and adults participating in the same categories in the main event at 6 p.m.
Riders navigated the large course while their parents and loved ones watched from the bleachers that were separated by the long white fence. Outside the course, riders took horses of different colors and sizes across the grounds in an effort to be more comfortable with the animals.
Some horses were tied to their trailers as a slim few braved the cold by staying indoors until it was their time to ride.
"Some of them are their own horses, and some of them are not," Summers said. Summers provided some of the horses she uses to teach riding lessons at her home.
Anthony Norris is one of those who came to the ranch to watch the festivities. His oldest daughter Zoe, who has been riding for a couple of months, was leading his nephew Andrew's pony, Sambo.
She said Sambo was a "very pretty horse to look at, and so is its sister." That would be Rain, who was being ridden by another child who was a beginner. Zoe rides a big horse named Little Man, and she took part in the pee-wee event in the afternoon.
Zoe said her favorite part of riding a horse is that "you can train and do anything that you want to with him."
Norris, who has been riding since he was a kid, is happy the Riding Club has returned.
"Definitely," he said. "It can't do anything but help. It gives them something to do. It teaches the kids responsibility, taking care of the animals. I could go on and on."
Four-year-old Devin Adams was a bit reluctant to talk about his first time riding, but as he rode Sambo he said his favorite part of riding was that it was "fun."
Lesley Blakley, 6, already has his own horse, a miniature horse named Dr. Pepper.
His grandmother, Riding Club secretary Deborah Blakley, said, "If we can find him a really gentle, well-broke sound horse," Lesley can ride a bigger one in the future. Lesley's parents were on hand to watch as grandmother led grandson during the Texas barrels portion of the event.
Summers hopes this is just the start of what could become a big Riding Club experience.
"The county's donated 10 acres already, and then they're going to donate us 10 more hopefully," Summer said. "Then we've got a $2 million arena that's going to be built. And it's going to be a covered arena for handicapped. We're going to have big facilities. It's going to have RV hookups. It's really going to be a nice place. We're going to have 100 horse stalls."
That facility will be located at Winfield. Events will take place on the first and last Saturdays of each month, and in the future Summers plans to have events like team roping.
Summers said the response as been "wonderful" since word got out the club was re-starting.
And from the smiles on the faces of the children and the parents who watched them, braving the cold was a good thing.
