By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

CINCINNATI, Ohio — The first-ever Special Olympics Ohio Statewide Invitational Competition was held at the Winton Woods Riding Center, a part of the Hamilton County Park District.

“I like it – I like it a lot,” Ted Kremer said about riding a horse and preparing to take part in the event. Kremer medaled in several events including barrel racing.

Kremer was one of 15 gifted riders who took part in the event, which featured classes ranging from dressage to barrel racing and including showmanship, equitation and working trail.

Ten riders were from the Winton Woods Riding Center Special Olympics program, four were from Henry County, Ohio Special Olympics, and one was from Riders Unlimited, Fremont, Ohio.
There was no Special Olympic Equestrian Program in Ohio so last year Winton Woods Stable Manager, Dee Anderson, started working to form a team. They competed in Kentucky with six athletes in 12 classes and those athletes medaled 10 times, Anderson said.

“It made the state office sit up and take a look at our program and decide that they would introduce equestrian as a special olympics sport for the state of Ohio,” Anderson said. “It was a huge deal for us.”

As a result of that, the riding center has increased their special olympic athlete training to 11 riders, Anderson said.

“We have new athletes that came to us from our Special Riders Program which is our riding program for other-abled people,” Anderson said.

Special Riders Program riders, ages seven to adult, start out with someone to lead the horse and two side-walkers, Anderson said.
“As the rider learns new skills and progresses they can occasionally drop a side-walker or two or even become independent,” she said. “We work towards as much of an independent situation as we can.”
The Special Rider Program has 45 people on the wait list mostly because it requires a lot of volunteers.

“We are always, always looking for volunteers, so anytime anybody is interested in joining us we would welcome them,” Anderson said, adding that there is online as well as hands-on training available.
Volunteer Monique Kennedy, who has volunteered with the program since 2005, said it is very self-fulfilling.

“These kids are amazing, what they can do,” Kennedy said. “I love it; watching them come out of their shells, the way they relate to the horses and how much they learn.”

Special-needs riders who are able to go with just a leader, or a leader and one side-walker, or completely independent, are given the option to move into the Special Olympics training.

The athletes fully comprehend what they’re doing, that they are showing and that they are in competition, and that they are going for gold medals, Anderson said.

“It is just amazing to see how people who have been given boundaries all their lives can throw that away ... It is completely amazing, the results that we get from our athletes,” she said.
An independent judge, Roni Kieffer, followed the special olympics rules for judging the event and she loved doing it, she said.

“These events are the best ever ... because the kids appreciate what they get, they love the fact that they’re riding,” Kieffer said. “Even though it is competition they’re not competitive. It’s just a joy to do.”

The Special Olympics Competition was made possible by the Hamilton County Park District and the Hamilton County Special Olympics.
For information call on the program or volunteering 513-931-3057.