Valley Riding Festival Fun for All

Let the fun begin!

Valley Riding's annual benefit festival held at Rocky River Metroparks stables was a fun-filled day for people of all ages. More than 1,000 people attended the event. One attendee, Lorie Petti, said, “My husband and I brought our two children. There was something for everyone.  My two-year old liked the stable tour, and my four-year old enjoyed the snow cones.” 

The stables gave western and English riding demonstrations.  A dressage demonstration - horse and rider perform a series of predetermined moves from memory - was given by Lauren Ball-Tisdale and her students, along with a jumping demonstration by Indy Peckham.  The Cleveland Police gave a presentation on how the mounted police and their horses handle crowd control. In addition, the Northern Ohio Outlaws showed the different skills involved in mounted shooting competitions.  Valley Riding’s own pony and horse quadrille, which is a drill team on horseback, performed routines to the music of Star Wars and the Great Gatsby.  Moreover, students in the Therapeutic Riding Program demonstrated what they have learned and the skills they have developed over the course of the program.

Not only was it enjoyable to watch the festival, but there were also interactive activities! Pony rides were this year’s biggest hit - 313 rides given and all tickets sold out!  But you got to learn more and to interact with the horses by taking a barn tour.  During the barn tour, you had the opportunity to learn about what the horses eat and how often, how the stalls are cleaned, and what the names are of the school's horses and ponies. 

This year Valley Riding students sold $7,765 worth of tickets, which gave people a chance to win a variety of prizes, including a one night stay at Kalahari and an Apple iPad mini!  Valley Riding raised more than $20,000. All proceeds contribute to the Therapeutic Riding Program.  

Valley Riding,Inc. is a non-profit affiliate of the Cleveland Metroparks. For more information on the school and its programs, contact Valley Riding by calling 216-267-2525 or by visiting the website at valleyriding.org.