Equestrian Program

News

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  Barrie's New Barn Program Off to a Great Start

  October 1st welcomed the first day of Barrie's new Barn Managment program, open to all 4th through 12th graders. A group of 6 students, ranging in experience and age came up to the barn after school to learn about washing, grooming, catching, leading, safety, and picking stalls. The ponies, McGregor, Spike, and Magic, were happy to have so much attention!

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  Storytime with Aspen

  On Tuesday, Sarah and Maati's Primary class joined Sue and Devon from the Barn for Storytime with Aspen. After sharing a story, the children enjoyed the opportunity to groom Aspen.

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  Open Barn at the Barrie Stables

  There was a great student stampede up to the barn at the end of the school day last Friday. Barrie’s eleven horses welcomed the entire community for an afternoon of fun and games. Bobbing for apples, painting ponies, and mixing-up a bran mash were some of the activities offered. By far the pony rides and Sunny’s face painting were the two most popular activities. Many thanks to all our volunteers who supervised each station and helped to make Barrie’s first Open Barn a huge success! Watch the calendar for future events with the horses.

  To learn more about Barrie's equestrian program and lessons, visit the equestrian page on our website.

  To learn more about the program staff, please visit Equestrian Director Sue Wentzel's faculty profile or Equestrian Assistant Devon Simone's faculty profile.

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  All School Assembly At Barrie's Barn

  Barrie's campus came alive this morning at the barn, where all students - 2-year olds through 12th graders - came together to learn about the equestrian program and enjoy the magnificent spring weather. Also present were parents and grandparents who came to spend Montessori morning with their children, a few children who were too young to attend Barrie, and of course, the stars of the show: Barrie's horses and ponies.
  
  More than a mere house for our horses, the stable is a central part of Barrie's campus and symbolizes two key tenets of our school: experiential learning and our respect for the environment. This morning's assembly showcased the students' dedication, as well as the confidence that students gain from the first-hand experiences they gain at Barrie.
  
  Case in point: Grace Bigham ('11), who fell from her horse on the last jump of an otherwise flawless exhibition. All eyes were on Grace after she fell, but she simply smiled, dusted herself off and got back on her horse. Grace completed the jump with a quiet smile, knowing what all of Barrie's riders know: getting knocked off is a big part of riding - but it's never an excuse to walk away from the challenge.
  
  Grace, a "Barrie Lifer" who has attended the school since age 2, puts it well: "I've never left the ring -not- on my horse; that's just not what we do."

• Barrie’s Varsity Equestrian Team Closes Strong With Year-End Reserve Championship

  Congratulations to Barrie’s Varsity Equestrian Team, who were year-end Reserve Champions out of 22 schools from the D.C. metropolitan area! It was a roller coaster of a season, starting off rough in 7th place, climbing into 4th, jumping to 1st, dropping to 3rd and sliding into 2nd place (at the 11th hour!) with an impressive final show! Please read on for more details.

• Team Update

  Our first two shows are under our belt! Our J.V. Team had their first show on Septermber 19^th and Varsity's first was on September 26^th. The competition was fierce which is an indicator of a tough season. Our results from the J.V. Show are as follows:

  M/S Future Int, Jacqui K, 2^nd place, 2^nd place and a 3rd over fences and she was Reserve Champion!

  H/S Novice, Zoe K, 2^nd, 4^th and a 4^th over fences.

  M/S Novice, Karl P, a 6^th and a 5^th in his first show for Barrie!

  Congrats everyone!

  Varsity Results:

  11/12 Advanced: Captain Grace B didn't have a super great day. Her mare 'Charlotte' was acting a bit flaky and Grace was not able to pin in her division. We learned a lot about what we need to tweek before our next show!

  Kara W, in the same division, received a 6^th and a 3^rd over fences! It was a beautiful course on Barrie/Bigham's own 'Chancey'!

  9/10 Advanced: Sarah M rocked it on her 'Romeo'! She received three first place ribbons and was Champion in her division!

  9/10/middle school Intermediate: Sarah H received a 5^th and a 6^th in her terribly difficult division. Unfortunately Rosemary J did not fare as well. It was her first varsity show and tried so hard but just couldn't get it quite together. We learned from our mistakes though and will work on them in practice and kick some tush at the next show!

  Great start to the show season everyone and thank you for everyone's great sportsmanship! I am so proud of you all!

• Barn News

  Paige Howe

  I must thank the Bigham family for purchasing 27 tons of sand for our riding ring! The summer storms washed away so much sand that our ring was rocky and hard. The Bigham came to the rescue and not only bought us the sand but spent 6 hours on a Saturday spreading the sand, taking out rocks and dragging it until it looked like a professional show ring! Now the ring is fluffy and quite even. My horses and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

  The jump we are painting for the Washington International Horse Show is coming along. With input from the team the design is complete. The paint has been bought and the first coats of base have been applied! I'll post pictures soon as it comes together!

• Horse Update

  Paige Howe

  'Lakota' is still being spoiled rotten in her retirement home! Her new owner sends me weekly updates. She is being ridden 3 or 4 times a week on trail rides. Jamal Brown, Barrie Junior, even got to go out and take her for a spin. May we all get to retire in such luxury!

  'Macgregor' is doing better! As many of you know 'MacGregor has been very lame since March. He has Cushings disease which caused him to founder. Foundering is a very painful condition which basically makes the bones in his hooves to shift in such a way that 'Mac' was walking on his finger tips. Not comfortable! After months of T.L.C. and stall rest 'Mac' is almost 100% sound! I even used him in two primary lessons this week! He is now turned out with 'Aspen' and Sarah Mills' 'Chip'. If you come to visit they are in the first field on the right down from the barn. If you visit please don't go in the pasture and no treats. Because of his condition we have to carefully control his diet!

• Upcoming Shows

  The first junior varsity show is at Oatland Stables on September 19^th. The first varsity show is September 26^th at Nothing Fancy farm. Click on the title (Upcoming Shows, above) for directions.

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  Lakota is Happily Retired

  We recently received email from Lakota's new owner describing how happy she is on her new farm. Click on her photo at left for a close-up and to see more pictures.