Ponies Get Put Through Paces At Valley Mission Park Arena

Despite the din of cars speeding past on Interstate 90, the people assembled at Valley Mission Park’s equestrian arena on Saturday couldn’t hear a thing above their own cheering.

“Go, Lacey, go!” yelled a timer as 10-year-old Lacey Braman clung to her charging pony. The blond, freckled rider reined her horse through the arena’s barrel course at full gallop, trying to shave every possible second off of her time.

Last weekend, members of the Valley Renegades horse club convened a posse at the park. For two days, horseback riders raced around barrels, galloped between poles set up slalom-style and ran end-to-end sprints through a flag race course.

Nearly every weekend from late spring until fall, horse folks gather at the Valley Mission equestrian arena. Last weekend, it was the Renegades and a few guests who competed in fast-paced Western-style riding games. This weekend, the Cavalier’s Equestrian Association, an Englishstyle riding group, will be there.

Last weekend’s meet attracted riders of all ages, from grade-school kids to those old enough to be their grandparents. One of the latter is the club’s founder and president, 78-year-old Orville Lopp. From under a white cowboy hat, he watched young Lacey’s performance in the barrel race and recalled his own youth.

“I couldn’t even get to school without a horse,” he said.

Lopp wasn’t doing much competing Saturday. He broke a foot at another meet when he hit a steel barrel with his own hoof. About a month before that, he hurt his ribs when he was thrown from his horse. Injured or not, Lopp is considered pretty much invincible by other riding enthusiasts.

“One time he broke his ankle and wired his foot in the stirrup and rode anyway,” said Sue Pittman, a weekend rider and full-time accountant. “He’s tough.”

As Lopp oversaw the arena’s conversion from barrel to pole course, Lacey turned her pony over to 9-year-old James Hottell. It was just his second time riding in a contest, and Lacey was helping him prepare for the poles. Her mom, Debbie Braman, looked on.

“Kids start as soon as they can hold on,” Debbie Braman said.

James entered the arena and attempted to maneuver his mount through the pole course. Oops. The white poles fell like trees in a clearcut zone.

Still, James finished with a smile.

“I knocked down too many poles,” he said.

“You did it wrong,” coached Lacey.

“Itchy wouldn’t listen,” said James, looking accusingly at his pony partner.

It was mom’s turn now. Debbie Braman’s horse galloped through the poles. One, two. So far, so good.

“C’mon Debbie, don’t touch it!” Fran Lyngstad yelled from her timing tower.

Then, Braman did just that and a pole fell. James didn’t feel so bad now. Even veterans knock over a few poles.

What keeps these horse folks constantly competing? Ben Livengood, 13, knows.

“Speed,” he said, horses dashing in the arena before him, cars whizzing past on I-90 behind him. “It’s fun to go fast.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo