Giddy Up!
Community Event at the Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center
 Kids,
parents, and grandparents were all treated to a day filled with horses
on February 17th, 2007 at the Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center and Albion
College. The college's equestrian club put on the event for local
residents using funds collected during a bottle drive held in November.
The event included four demonstrations
on basic horse care and four rides to music. All of the
demonstrations were done by club members. Alex Goss, a sophomore
from Dexter, showed visitors how to groom horses. Allison Robbins,
a freshman from Chardon, OH presented the proper way to fit both English
and Western saddles. Freshman Emily Amidon from Portage showed the
crowds what a horse eats and offered people a chance to feed the horses
a peppermint.
"I think the event went very well,"
said Halley Sissom, Chelsea junior and club president. "We had far
more people attend than we had expected, which was wonderful."
Sissom went on to say that she received positive feedback from the
demonstrations and that visitors enjoyed the freestyle rides to music.
By many accounts, the highlight of the
Giddy Up! event were the four rides to music done by club members.
Kayla Discher, from Plano, TX, rode her gelding Pappazzari in a dressage
demonstration. Western was represented by Kate Van Ness from
Spring Lake and her horse Kelly. Mallory Fellows from Jenison
showed off her natural balance by riding Side Saddle on
her mare, Blue, to a completion of
classic Frank Sinatra. The final ride of the day was done by
Brittany White from Midland, who did a Jumping demonstration with her
gelding Bay. Bay and Brittany soared over fences that were over
four feet tall to Disney's "Under da Sea."
Mary Applegate, freshman from
Grandville and an officer in the club, did the announcing throughout the
event. "It was a really fun experience," says Applegate, "and I
hope we can do it again next year, but maybe when the weather's a little
warmer."
The local branch of the Tractor Supply
Company donated several door prizes that the club raffled off after each
ride to music. Also after each ride, the audience was able to ask
questions of the riders and have their pictures taken with the horse and
rider.
Giddy Up!
Pictures
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