Courtesy Photo | The Buffalo Corral Riding Stables hosted its first hobbyhorse event on May 11. Out of...... read more read more
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By Cpt. Bradley Foreman, 111th Military Intelligence Brigade
FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. — The Buffalo Corral Riding Stables hosted its first hobbyhorse event on May 11. More than 15 jockeys signed up for the event, and with supporters included, attendance numbered around 50.
Rachael Goodwater, business manager for Buffalo Corral, was aware of hobby horsing for some time but only recently had the idea to bring it to Fort Huachuca.
“For trail rides and lessons, they have to be seven years old, but we always get younger kids that want to ride,” she said. “They can do lead-arounds and birthday parties out here…there’s not much else for them.”
To give those younger kids more ways to get involved, she turned her attention to hobby horsing.
INAUGURAL EVENT
The event this weekend was meant to coincide with the Triple Crown races and was thus derby themed. After staff introductions, riders first drew numbers for post position. The number they drew corresponded to their gate number on the track. They were then organized into heats based on age.
Next, because this was the first iteration of hobby horsing at Buffalo Corral, the staff presumed all riders would be new to the sport and led a workshop for them to make their own hobbyhorse. Riders were given a bag with materials the Buffalo Corral staff had made and prepared by hand so they could construct their horses.
The horse construction was the longest portion of the day and putting them together was a source of pride for the would-be jockeys. Although the head pattern was pre-cut and had the eyes attached, everything else was up to the participants. They completed the seam, stitched the mane, stuffed the head, attached the stick, donned the blinders, cut holes for the eyes, attached the tails, and fastened the bridles themselves.
From there, participants named their horses, and the heats were set. While the gate crew set up the track and the outrider prepared her horse to escort jockeys onto the track, participants received a lesson in hobbyhorse riding from one of Buffalo Corral’s riding instructors. They learned the correct gaits for walking, trotting, and cantering.
This phase of the event also featured a derby hat competition, where the supporters were judged on their cephalic flair. Prizes were awarded for first, second and third place based on audience voting and judge’s discretion.
RESULTS
The first race was the heat with the youngest jockeys and consisted of Moonshine, Nacho Horse, Julip and Night Sky. Nacho Horse won by a couple lengths, followed by Moonshine, then Night Sky and finally Julip.
The second race featured Blackjack, Ginger Hot, Cookie, Comanche, and Darkey. Blackjack emerged victorious in this race, while Comanche took second and Cookie took the final spot on the podium. Finishing in fourth was Ginger Hot.
The third heat is where the older riders took to the track, and it was a photo finish. Elmer, Cloudy, Black Betty, and Bacon Bits started, while the fifth horse was a scratch. Cloudy took first, followed by Elmer in second. Although Bacon Bits was uncooperative out the gate, she came back to finish just a nose behind Elmer, while Black Betty trailed the pack.
The final race featured the fastest remaining horses competing head-to-head for the trophies. In this ultimate heat, Elmer squared off against Cloudy and Nacho Horse. They finished in reverse order of their post positions, with crowd favorite Nacho Horse taking first, Cloudy coming in second and Elmer coming in third.
THE WAY AHEAD
Although hobbyhorse is just starting at Buffalo Corral, if this first event was any indication, the future is bright. Aside from derby racing, other equestrian events also have a place in hobbyhorse. Riders can compete in dressage and show jumping, for example.
The Buffalo Corral team hopes to make the derby an annual event, but they are not limiting their prospects to just racing.
Goodwater hopes the success of this event will bring something new and exciting to Buffalo Corral and make it more accessible to the Fort Huachuca and Sierra Vista communities.
“We’re hoping to incorporate [hobbyhorse] into birthday parties as a package deal,” She said said.
She plans to sell packages like those given to derby participants at Trail’s End, the Buffalo Corral gift shop. Possibilities for the future include a once-a-month open course, renting out the hobbyhorse area for parties or open rides and lessons.
“In the next couple months, we hope to have all that figured out,” said Goodwater.
HOBBY HORSE
Hobbyhorse originated in Finland and gained a more international reputation after the release of Hobbyhorse Revolution, a 2017 award-winning film from director Selma Vilhunen. Although the sport is still gaining traction in the US, there is an estimated community of over 10,000 people in Finland.
Former Secretary General of the Equestrian Federation of Finland, Fred Sundwall, is a proponent of hobbyhorse for the same reason Goodwater brought it to Fort Huachuca. “It gives a chance to those children and teens who don’t own horses to interact with them also outside stables and riding schools,” Sundwall told the Associated Press in 2017.
A common misconception around hobbyhorse is that it is simply running around with a plush horse head on a stick. That could not be further from the truth, says Goodwater. “There’s a finesse to it. That’s why we do lessons when it’s people’s first time – to teach them the walk, the trot, the canter. It’s a sport.”
The entire experience involved more than just the sport, however. Since hobbyhorse’s inception, a large part of the sentimental investment of riders is the connection they build with their horse, which they usually craft themselves. The emotional connection they have from making and naming their horses can be therapeutic, especially for younger participants.
For more information on Fort Huachuca’s Buffalo Corral Riding Stables, including services, hours and events, check out their page on the Morale, Welfare and Recreation website.
| Date Taken: | 05.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.16.2024 12:32 |
| Story ID: | 471438 |
| Location: | FORT HUACHUCA, AZ, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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