Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Page A-3
Sports
Community does not horse around
when it comes to equestrian team
Annette McGee Rasch
IVN Senior Contributing Writer
Something special happens
between children and their horses
- and it becomes dear. The cost
associated with horse ownership
prevents many Valley children from
having this experience - but thanks
to the Illinois Valley High School
(IVHS) equestrian team; horse-crazy
students get the opportunity to learn
horsemanship, and much more.
“Some of our kids never rode
before and could never do anything
like this, but they get to be on our
team,” said head coach Desiree
Eddy. “It’s so awesome for them and
really helps keep them out trouble
and doing something positive,
staying on the right path toward their
future. We go out and find sponsors
who loan us horses so these kids can
ride. But it’s spendy. It costs $710
to pay the fees for each kid. So I’m
always really excited when local
businesses and community members
support us.”
The equestrian team is
constantly fundraising; and in the
process, Eddy says team members
learn how to talk to people and
promote themselves: “Like at Shop
Smart, someone will say they have
a horse and end up talking with the
kids and connections are made. This
is a great life skill.”
Working with horses also
teaches empathy and confidence.
When a 100-pound-girl learns how
to handle a 1,000-pound-animal,
she grows more powerful and is
far less likely to ever become a
victim. “I have one small gal now,
Alia Parker,” Eddy said. “When she
started, she didn’t want to do more
than a walk - and now, she’s out
there running barrels.
“The team is involved in
Western riding styles, though
sometimes, we do English as well,”
explained Eddy, who’s coached the
team for 16 years. “We’re doing
barrel racing, poles, figure eights and
keyhole - which is very entertaining.
You run down into configuration
shaped like a keyhole and you have
to dash in-and-out without the horse
touching the chalk lines.”
Three times a year the IVHS
team competes against 16 teams in
the Southern Oregon District, and
if they place high enough, they go
on to compete at the state-level,
where five slots are allotted for each
district. “It’s a big sport in Oregon,”
Eddy said. “At state, you’re
competing against 60 top riders.
“Our first meet went really
well,” Eddy said. “We placed second
overall in drills. Taylor Taylor took
first in barrels, and Lily Schlabach
took second in in-hand trail. And the
team placed fourth out of 11 teams in
the in-hand obstacle relay.”The team
also includes Alia Parker, Zac Parker
and Kaylee Hicks.
At the team’s second meet,
Eddy said a horse was injured
and had to be pulled from the
competition, “and that tripped the
team up. We just had one issue after
another. But our third meet is in a
few weeks and we’re pretty eager
to place. We want to go to state this
year, and to qualify, we really have
to perform and place in the top five
- in the five classes where we’re
holding on. But we can do it.”
That meet takes place at the
Jackson County Expo, April 15-17.
Admittance is free, and Eddy says
Saturday will be the most exciting
day. The competition starts at 8:30
a.m. and goes to about 4 p.m.
“Our team has been doing a lot
better than last year,” Taylor said.
“We’ve come a long way. Our drill
team is doing really good too. We’re
all like family, we’re really there for
each other.”
Taylor, a 15-year-old freshman,
riding since she was 10, also said
the equestrian team teaches a
wider range of “life lessons” than
other sports. “You have to care for
yourself, the team and the horses.
There’s more involved. But I don’t
know if the community knows about
the team as much as they should,”
she added. “We don’t have that many
people attending our events and it’d
be nice if more people came out and
supported us. It’s probably the most
expensive sport at school, so we
really need the community’s help.
Right now, we’re looking for more
sponsors to help us get to our third
meet this year.”
Schlabach’s mother, Roxanne
Schlabach also wants IVHS to
get behind the team more. “If the
students and staff would attend
some of the events it’d help with
moral support and recognition of
the sport. Also, this team helps the
children learn responsibility. They
must maintain a minimum GPA
to participate and the children are
responsible for the care, upkeep and
feeding of their horses. Being on the
team helps them to learn what team
work is all about.”
Needing a large arena to
practice in, the team heads to
Josephine County Fairgrounds. They
also practice in the Barrel Bonanza
Ranch arena. Huck and Holly Reese,
who own that facility, donate the
space to the I.V. team, because “they
want to see our Valley youth rise in
the sport,” Eddy said.
“Being involved with the
equestrian team has definitely
changed me for the better,” Lily
Schlabach said. “I was rather placid
and didn’t know how to have fun
with other people until I joined the
team. Since then, I’ve learned how
to enjoy other people and to work as
part of a team. This really brought
me out of my shell.”
Schlabach, 18, is a senior and
has been on the team for four years,
though she’s been hanging out with
the team for eight years.
“I love horses. I’ve had them
since I was little, but mostly just
took care of them,” she said. “But
when I joined the team I really
learned how to ride. I was a big
reader, and I still like to read, but
now I like riding more. My own
horse, Pistol, really lives up to his
name. He’s a Mustang in his third
year of training. I also ride my
coach’s horse in some events that
Pistol isn’t really for yet.”
After she graduates, Schlabach
plans to attend Rogue Community
College, and then, transfer to
Oregon Institute of Technology for
more training to become a dental
hygienist.
Eddy and assistant coach Alicia
Kinsey are grateful for the “awesome
support” they’ve received from
community members and businesses,
and particularly acknowledge Lavon
Arnett from Double A Ranch Hay
Sales; Kaylah Gilkey, owner of
Rockstar Leather in Selma; Taylor’s
Sausage; Bridgeview Winery; and
Rogue Truck Body, for helping keep
the equestrian program afloat.
The team is always looking for
more people willing to donate the
use of horses, hay, feed and money.
“And we’ll work for it!” Eddy said.
“We’ll clean stalls; do yard work,
chores and more. A lot of these kids,
they’re happy to give their labor
- they just don’t have the money.
“Looking back at all the life
lessons these kids have learned
through my time as coach, it’s really
worth it, because they take all these
lessons into their lives. They’re
going to survive and thrive in this
world because they know they have
to work. They’re not going to just
live off somebody else,” Eddy said.
(Courtesy photo for The Illinois Valley News)
Kaylee Hicks (mounted left), Taylor Taylor, Lily Schlabach, Zac Parker, Alia Parker and assis-
tant coach Alicia Kinsey (standing).
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