Last weekend Equus Local traveled to JL Performance Horses in Poughquag, NY, for their Roping 101 Clinic with Kent Pitman. Cowboy Kent is a long-time equestrian who has been riding and roping for 35 years. Down from his hometown of Saratoga, this clinic was his second collaboration with JL Performance Horses, bringing his roping skills to the Dutchess County area.
It was a perfect fall day, and the house was packed with kids of all ages trying their hand at learning how to rope. What was most impressive was that the bulk of the students were from Community Matters 2 Inc., a community and youth development non-profit based in Poughkeepsie, NY. For most of these kids it was their first time even on a farm let alone attempting to learn how to handle a rope! That small fact didn’t seem to matter though as Cowboy Kent was quite impressed with the enthusiasm and raw talent many of them displayed in their rope handling.
The day started with learning the basics of how to hold the ropes and the correct ways to stand and throw. They learned how to throw to the head and also how to throw from the back to the feet. After a fun morning of practicing these new movements, it was time for a break for lunch. Thanks to Leah and JL Performance Horses for providing a delicious spread for lunch. The fried chicken and the peanut butter brownies were my favorite!
After lunch we mixed it up a bit and came back with the chance to see Cowboy Kent do a bit of riding with his 3 Quarter Horses he brought. Then everyone who was up to it had the opportunity to take a short ride on one of the horses.
Now that the students had a chance to ride on some real horses, it was back inside to try their hand at roping from the dummy horse where they were up much higher than in the morning’s practice. This seemed to go quite well with many of the participants landing their throws from up high!
Finally, we finished the day with a fun game of teams where groups of two had to split with one roping the head and then holding up the dummy so the other could rope the feet.
All in all, it was a wonderful way to spend a fall Sunday, and it was so nice to see a spark lit in these potential future equestrians in the making!
If you would like to learn more about the youth programs from either of these wonderful organizations, please check out their websites below. Check out our gallery below to see pics of the day.
JL Performance Horses Ponysitters
The Ponysitters Club from JL Performance Horses begins with an emphasis on safety, education, sportsmanship and FUN. PONYSITTERS learn handling skills, conditioning & exercising, riding and horse care through mounted and unmounted activities. The habits and values instilled through good horsemanship will apply to every part of a PONYSITTER’s life.
Community Matters 2 Inc.
Founded by L’Quette Taylor, a lifelong Poughkeepsie native, the mission of Community Matters 2 Inc. is to initiate communal growth by organizing events and establishing programs with local organizations for residents and youth with common goals that sparks community engagement.
