To ride, or not to ride—that is the question. For Rebecca Stetter, Evelyn Jaworski, and Savannah Brunkow, the answer is obvious: to ride.
At a young age, senior Rebecca Stetter was not a big fan of the more “traditional” sports, so her grandmother suggested that she should try horseback riding. From then on, Stetter’s love for the sport prospered so greatly that she was inspired to purchase her own horse (named Emmy) when she was just fifteen years old. “I saved up enough of my own money to buy her, vet her, and to make sure I had all of the equipment needed,” explained Stetter. Now, Stetter rides with Emmy about three times a week, and their friendship grows each time. “With your own personal horse, there is definitely a bond,” Stetter claimed.
Sophomore Evelyn Jaworski has always loved animals, and when one of her friends in elementary school mentioned that they rode horses, she found the idea intriguing. After a few years of persuading, Jaworski’s parents finally agreed to sign her up for lessons, solidifying her future with the sport. Now, Jaworski rides two to three times a week at Red Gate Farm to practice for upcoming competitions. Jaworski rides multiple horses provided to her by Red Gate Farm, the current one being Fresca. Jaworski claims that it is easier to ride a horse when you ride with it often, and that the bond between a rider and their horse is very special. “When you get to know the horse, you get to know how they operate,” stated Jaworski. “After you get to know them, it is easier to ride with them.”
Having grown up around barns and stables, sophomore Savannah Brunkow has been riding horses for as long as she can remember. “My mom rides horses, so that’s how I got into it,” Brunkow explained. “She would take me with her to see her horse every day when I was little.” Throughout her life, Brunkow has ridden in a multitude of competitions, but one specifically stuck with her. In 2020, right before lockdown, Brunkow participated in a competition with her childhood pony. “For the championship, they had a little wooden podium, and I really wanted to be on it,” Brunkow remarked. Brunkow practiced her jumps and worked on her dressage constantly with her pony, with the hopes that she would make the podium. After scoring a 24 on her dressage and going clean in jumping, Brunkow and her pony ended up winning. “It was the best experience ever, and I got to stand on the podium with a big ribbon,” Brunkow smiled.
Sadly, Brunkow’s childhood pony passed away in 2023, but the memory of the podium and big ribbon are still present in Brunkow’s heart. “When you do horseback riding you create a special bond with your horse,” Brunkow expressed, “and when they’re gone it makes it more difficult to ride with a new one.”