Wonderland Arena Hosts Obstacle Challenge for Kit Carson Riding Club June 22nd
It was a beautiful day for an obstacle Challenge. Kit Carson Riding Club puts on this event to support Remount Foundation. Remount’s mission is Empowering America’s Bravest and Their Families to Harness Peace Through Horses. There’s nothing better than a fun event that supports such a worthy charity.
Wonderland Arena is a nice facility with over 40 obstacles, including fog machines, bubbles, suspension bridges, teeter totters, cowboy curtains and a variety of other challenges for the horse and rider located in Peyton, Colorado. The facility is owned and managed by Gerald and Dawn Walker. They are a Gold Star family. A Gold Star family is one that has experienced a loss of a loved one–an immediate family member – who died as the result of active-duty military service. They put on events at their facility donating proceeds to Remount Foundation and other non-profit Military organizations, helping veterans and their families
This is a very challenging course so a great place to school and keep your horse and yourself in practice. Many of the horses in this event are seasoned trail riding horses but found the course quite difficult. It was impressive to watch horse and rider navigate the obstacles and put forth such effort to get through the course. It is a great group of riders and certainly a fun-loving bunch. Everyone seemed to have a great time.
Judge and scribe for the first part of the challenge were Dan Yopp and his scribe, Barbara Wind. They were very thorough, giving great feedback on the score sheets for competitors. I was impressed with the positive comments and extra effort to encourage riders as they navigated the course. Don comments that the judge’s criteria are loosely based on AQHA rules. They adjust for the variety of breeds that attended the show from Quarter Horses, Tennessee Walkers, Arabians to a Mule and more. The judge and scribe (Emma Van Nostrand, judge and Maureen Meisner, scribe) for the arena portion of the challenge were equally encouraging, giving positive constructive feedback to the contestants.
High Point in each of the divisions are as follows:
Pony Up-Dawn Walker
Buckaroo-Dalton Mitchell
Wrangler-Allyson Stilson
Maverick-Dawn Walker
Bronc-Dawn Walker
Bronc Buster– Rosie Humiston
Trail Boss-Lynette Keese
Congratulations on winning your division! Hard work pays off.
$209.00 was raised for The Remount Foundation.
About Kit Carson Riding Club: Established in 1942. It’s the oldest active Riding Club in Colorado. Based on family values and good old-fashioned fun.
Our Mission: Kit Carson Riding Club cultivates a strong sense of community and provides a welcoming environment for riders of all abilities. KCRC advocates for affordability and offers a wide range of activities to promote a life with horses and preserve our long-standing western heritage. For more information visit: https://kitcarsonridingclub.com
Remount Foundation: Remount Foundation guides our nation’s service members, veterans, first responders and their families to find healing from the effects of PTSD, TBI, and other life trauma through the Remount Method. This personalized collection of therapeutic activities grounded in equine assisted philosophy empowers our participants to harness their unique pathway to healing through rediscovery of their hope and purpose.
Remount Foundation invites you to discover our life-saving techniques we have shared with over 13,000 active-duty military personnel, veterans of all eras, community first-responders, and their families to transform their lives into ones renewed with hope and purpose. For more information visit: https://remountfoundation.org
About Wonderland Arena: Wonderland arena, owned by Gerald and Dawn Walker, is a 40-acre facility that hosts obstacle challenges, events and clinics. Their first event was in the Fall of 2017, and they’ve never stopped. Along with a passion for helping Veterans and their families, they also encourage a partnership with your horse by gaining confidence working through the course. You can find more information on their Facebook Page or call (719) 351-3827, or email WonderlandArena@gmail.com.
All Photos by Karen Pickering and Colorado Horse Source. No images to be downloaded without permission.
Copyright Colorado Horse Source (COHS).
Owner/Publisher Karen’s lifelong love of horses began at a very early age when she wore out a couple of rocking horses before convincing her parents to get her the real thing. That ill-tempered bay gelding, Brandy, was a challenge for the young horsewoman, but it drove her ambition to become a horse trainer. After attending Canyonview Equestrian College’s Horsemanship Program, Karen realized she needed work that was a little more lucrative than training, so she took a job with Customs Brokerage to pay the bills. There, she discovered an affinity for computers and a talent for creating informative, entertaining newsletters. The Northwest Horse Source began as such a letter in December 1995, with a distribution of 1000 copies for its 12 black and white pages. Now 25 years later, it’s an online magazine and website with a reach of over 10,000 per month and growing! Not bad for the results of one woman’s dream to work with horses!
Today, Karen remains involved with every aspect of the magazine and treasures the community of thousands who share a common passion. Now excited to start a version of her original magazine in Colorado!