DECATUR - It is a dream for many girls to own a horse. They imagine sitting high atop their noble steed searching for adventure, or maybe, a quest. Outside of Decatur, in a sleepy little hollow off Arkansas Highway 102, that dream became reality for eight young riders.

Legends Equestrian Center hosted a five-day class on horsemanship. Ten girls participated in the class under the watchful eyes of master horsewoman and instructor Heather Swope. Swope taught each girl the proper handling of her horse and how to become one with her animal.

Class participants were all Northwest Arkansas residents ranging in age from 8 to 16. The students were Emma Johnson and Alyx Swope-Bell, both of Decatur; Jordan Cook of Siloam Springs; Elizabeth Versluis, Haley Hogue, Kerbie Karr, Avery Wilson, Bailey Brumbelow, Reagan Havron and Kyla Wilhoit, all from Bentonville.

Swope devised several exercises taught and designed according to each rider’s degree of horsemanship. Some exercises included the more traditional form of riding, such as barrel racing, jumping and hunting. Others were more entertaining, like musical fences, Hollywood stunt riding and a polo match of sorts.

But this was no ordinary polo match with ball and mallet. The small polo ball was replaced with a 36-inch diameter beach ball. The polo mallet was even less conventional, replacing the long-handled device with a long-handled broom. To the average spectator this combination looks easier. But it is anything but easy.

With the large size of the ball, the horse made contact before the rider, pushing the ball out of reach. On at least one occasion, the horse was spooked by the ball’s movement and stopped short, well out of reach of the rider. This is where equestrianism (the art of horseback riding) comes into play.

By using such a large object to move across a playing field, the girls learned how to maneuver their horses in tight formation with a moving object (the beach ball). Some of the girls mastered this exercise so well that they went on to duo precision riding demonstrations.

This discipline involved a pair of riders performing maneuvers that mirror imaged each other. Each rider’s focus and horsemanship had to stay at a constant to pull off this complex ballet. The two teams, consisting of Avery Wilson and Jordan Cook, Bailey Brumbelow and Elizabeth Varsluis, performed a superb display equaling a fine ballet.

During the Friday morning show, the girls had the chance to show a small crowd of spectators what they learned throughout the week and have fun in the process.

The first contest was a modified version of barrel racing where each rider had to maneuver her horse around a set of predetermined obstacles. This was a timed event with fault penalties assessed for various infractions. Each rider performed this task in under 30 seconds with only a few faults.

Swope devised a two person competition based on the old Hollywood western stunt of picking up another rider on the fly. An older rider teamed up with a younger one. The pair would ride up to an overturned barrel and the younger member dismounted. The older rider guided her horse back to the opposite side of the area. On a signal by Swope, the single rider would gallop across the arena, around the barrel and catch her partner on the fl y. Five teams attempted the maneuver - Emma Johnson and Alyx Swope-Bell had double duty, being the youngest - with varying degrees of success. Only one managed to perfect the on-the-fl y pickup maneuver.

One of the more interesting events of the day was a game of musical fences. As the name implies, musical fences is similar to musical chairs, except there is a 1,000-pound horse involved. The rules of the game were quite simple. Eight riders rode their horses around the ring while music played. When the music stopped, the riders had to go to a predetermined fence and touch the top. The rider who was without a fence or touched last was out. The students were all riding bareback, which added a certain degree of difficulty to the game. It showcased the riders’ ability to handle a horse without the use of a saddle and stirrups to balance the rider.

The final demonstration was a bareback jumper competition. It was in this event that the young riders showed their equestrian abilities. The course consisted of five fences, lower then the normal regulation heights to accommodate the younger riders and enable them to complete the course safely. All eight riders made it look easy and had fun at the same time.

Watching all the girls putting their horses through the paces was an amazing sight. But watching the younger ones ride like masters was purely beautiful.

It was hard not to stare in amazement at 8-year-old Alyx Swope-Bell, daughter of Heather Swope, and the ways she handled her horse, Sugar. The horse was twice as tall as Alyx, yet she had no trouble handling the beast. Nor was it hard to watch Jordan Cook, the next youngest rider, put her horse, Nugget, over some of the same jumps as the older, more experienced riders.

In the hands of a novice rider, a 1,000-pound-plus horse can be a dangerous thing. If a rider shows the least bit of fear, the animal will pick up on this and soon be out of control. In the hands of a well-disciplined rider, like those in Legends Equestrian summer class, the true art of horseback riding is taken to new heights.

When the rider and horse become one, then the art of horseback riding is like a fine painting complete.

Heather Swope announced the formation of two educational classes on horses and horsemanship for beginners at her facility. No prior riding experience is necessary for either class. The first class will run from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. July 22 through July 26. The second runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 12-16, The cost for each course is $300. Horses will be provided.

“This is a camp devoted to the horse lover - we will do lots of crafts, play with the horses, learn about them, and swim; not a learn to ride camp, more of a jump into the horse world and play, touch, groom, ride, learn how to care for, etc.” Swope said.

Sports, Pages 7 on 07/10/2013