Getting run over by a horse and then falling off another two days in a row would deter most from ever riding a horse again. But when those things happened to freshman equestrian rider Brooke Cichon, she literally “got back on the horse” and kept competing. 

“A day before a show, I got run over by a horse, and I had a black eye. He stepped on my back, and it cracked my phone case,” Cichon said. “The next day, I was doing a flat class at the show, and a horse ran up behind me, and my horse spooked and threw me off.”

According to Cichon, falling off a horse happens so fast that there is no time to realize what happened.

“I have taken a ton of falls, but there are a lot of things to think about on a horse, and there is very rarely a time when you can think, ‘Oh, I’m scared,’ ” Cichon said. 

She is just one of several Baldwin students who ride horses. For Cichon, she began riding at age 8 and has loved it ever since then

Cichon’s success in competitions is partly due to the horse she rides, Meg, and their special connection.

“I love her,” Cichon said.

Cichon describes Meg as a diva because she can’t handle other horses being negligent in their jobs. 

“She knows what she’s doing. She loves jumping. Whenever she’s given a job, she just does it,” Cichon said. 

 There are many categories in equestrian riding, such as Jumping, Hunters, and Hunters Equitation. 

The importance of looks is surprisingly vital in all equestrian events. A rider has to keep their heels down, head up, and chest out when competing.

“Hunters are based on how good you can make the horse look. In Hunters Equitation, the judge is judging you,” Cichon said. 

Cichon was able to secure a champion or reserve champion in every competition she went to this past season. 

“Brooke’s greatest accomplishments in equestrian were this past season, when she earned champion in long stirrup equitation and reserve champion in long stirrup hunter in the Michigan Hunter-Jumper Association,” Cichon’s mom, Anita Cichon, said. 

When the competition season is over, Cichon enjoys going for hacks, or rides, with Meg in the springtime. 

Sophia Colwell

Junior Sophia Colwell has always had a dream to ride horses – and she was willing to work to achieve it. 

“I met some people in middle school who rode, so I went out and started working for the barn, cleaning up to work for my lessons instead of paying for it until we were able to buy lessons,” Colwell said. “It just turned into a whole sport that I fell in love with.”

Colwell practices with her horse, Blue, at South Park Stables three to four times a week. Despite having ridden for a long time, it was not until recently that she decided to ride in a competition.

The competition was a learning experience she said.

“I won probably 15 to 16 ribbons and then a trophy overall,” Colwell said.

Blue has had a major impact on Colwell.

“After I met my horse, I decided that I wanted to learn how to do all this cool stuff, because the end goal is obviously going to be major competitions. If I want to do that, I have to start now,” Colwell said. “And it’s just really fun.”

Despite the good memories, Colwell has had her fair share of injuries while riding. While she was learning to ride with a trainer, her horse at the time tripped over its own feet, bringing the pair down.

“I broke my knee three years ago, falling off the horse. The horse fell, and I just went down with her,” Colwell said.

Colwell was able to recover from this injury and returned to the sport, leading her to meet Blue and begin competing.

Maizy Gamble-Reynolds

Sophomore Maizy Gamble-Reynolds loves horses, and it’s all because of her birthday party when she turned 4.

“My family decided to have a horse-themed birthday party for me for no particular reason, and it got me hooked into horses,” Gamble-Reynolds said.

She has leased three horses in her life: Cinnamon, Skippy, and Ken,

“I leased Cinnamon about two years ago, Skippy about a year ago, and Ken for the past three years, but he passed away in September,” Gamble-Reynolds said. “I do not lease the other two right now because I cannot afford them, but when I get back into training, I should be able to lease again.”

Gamble-Reynolds explained her favorite memory from riding.

“It was my first time galloping, and my trainer took me down to one of the very open fields,” Gamble-Reynolds said. “I galloped on a mustang gelding named Jesse, and it was one of the coolest moments of my life. I was 10 when it happened, and I was waiting so long for it.”

She did have some tough moments, though

“I was riding a horse once and I got thrown into a fence,” Gamble-Reynolds said. “It was terrifying, and I did not go onto a horse until two months after that happened.”

Gamble-Reynolds would regularly ride horses at Skillet Hill Stables in Elizabeth, but she has not been able to recently because of injuries and time issues.

 “Ever since my knee injury, I felt benched and have not been myself since. Hopefully, this spring I can start training for competition,” Gamble-Reynolds said. 

Gamble-Reynolds loves horses and said that without horses, she would not be herself.

“Horses are amazing. It is not just a fun activity – it is me. A few of my other friends who ride would probably say the same thing because it’s not just something we do, it’s something we like and connect with,” Gamble-Reynolds said. “We put our heart and soul into it and it helps with a lot of mental health issues. It is really more than just a sport.”

 Isabella Kreigline

Junior Isabella Kreigline started riding horses because of her mother, who rode when she was younger.

“My mom rode when she was my age and then stopped and started again, and that is when I started riding,” Kreigline said. “I saw how hard she worked to keep the horses in our lives, and it is just really inspiring to keep going.”

Kreigline rides in South Park at the South Park Stables almost every day. She owns two horses, Tex and Tucker. She has ridden them since she was 6 years old. 

“It is really special to spend every day with them and have that bond,” Kreigline said.

She said that hiding horses is very challenging.

“I’m at the barn and working with my horses six days a week, and it is like any sport, where you can get burned out. But with horses it is especially easy,” Kreigline said.

Even though it is challenging, Kreigline says that riding horses is very rewarding.

“My favorite part of riding are the reward factors of it,” Kreigline said. “I rode with some really hard horses and at the end it was really rewarding.
Kreigline also has had some difficult moments while riding.

“It was raining one day. I got thrown and this horse dragged me across the arena, then dropped me, and then ran me over,” Kreigline said.

Kreigline said that one of her horses, Tex, taught her everything that she knows.

“He taught me about how to ride horses, how to train – but he also taught me so much patience, and to keep working no matter how hard or frustrating it gets,” Kreigline said. “I could not thank that little pony enough.”