March/April 2024 Issue

Page 70 March/April 2024 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Saddle Up Scholars–Tutoring Riders from Low Income Communities give riding lessons to low-income students through the foundation, which funds 1,000 riding lessons a year. They’ve also partnered with Work to Ride in Philadelphia, the world-renowned equestrian outreach program. At Saddle Up, Lewis and Towner are providing tutoring and academic coaching for about 25 students in Baltimore and Phila- delphia. They stress the program targets not just students who need to improve their grades (Work to Ride requires a “C “ average to participate in its riding program) but also gifted students who need more of a challenge than they are getting at their schools. “Some of the students are very bright, above grade level,” said Towner. All of the education is vir- tual, Towner said, the benefit of pandemic funding that got Goo- gle Chromebooks into the hands of many public school students around the country. But they are also facing a student population that, like so many elsewhere, is struggling because of pandemic disruption. Lewis and Toner say their goal is not only for kids to aspire to careers in the horse industry but to prepare a route to college. “We’d like them to be able to go to college, be able to pay for riding and not feel marginalized,” said Lewis, herself a jumper rider who helps with her family’s thor- oughbred breeding business. Saddle Up wants to take its idea across the country and took its first step toward that goal by adding a new virtual tutoring site in Ocala, Florida to help displaced young people. Towner and Lewis make the point that not far from the lush farms of Florida horse country are people living in poverty. Their equestrian partner is Stirrups ‘n Strides therapeutic riding center in Citra, Florida. Lewis and Towner have brought on board two inspiration- al young people to help further their mission. Intern Sophie Gochman was a top junior jumper rider who now attends Harvard University. Lewis tutored Goch- man when she was in high school as part of a program for outstand- ing athletes who needed to study remotely in order to compete. Gochman shook up the horse world four years ago when she penned a piece shortly after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, as his death touched off a national social justice movement. In it she took the equestrian community to task for being largely inaccessible to aspiring horsemen and women of color and turning a blind eye to society’s chronic inequities. “She was concerned about leveling the playing field,” said Lewis. “We learn from our stu- dents.” Even so, Towner and Lewis say they have seen and experi- enced generosity in the horse world, evidence there is a way forward to greater openness and inclusion. In 2016 Towner was given the opportunity to show Britta of Berga, a world class jumper, at major venues from Florida to Vermont, thanks to the mare’s owners who saw they made a great match. “I never would have had that opportunity otherwise,” she said. “We want to pay it forward.” Today, six years after the Bonifaces opened the door to horse racing for him, Merritt is a full time exercise rider, traveling between Florida and New York with Todd Pletcher Racing. And he’s a mentor for students partici- pating in Saddle Up Scholars. Towner with pride and helped drive her to quit her job and, with Lewis, start Saddle Up Scholars. “It fueled my passion; combine the horse world with academic world. Horses put us on a path to success,” said Towner. “Of all my accomplish- ments that relationship, seeing him thrive, really meant the most for me.” Both Lewis and Towner wanted to create an organization that improved learning skills and introduced young people to horses, with a core social justice mission to combat inequity. In the past year, Saddle Up has partnered with The Schuster Foundation and Charm City Polo in Baltimore. There are about five Baltimore area farms that (Continued from page 55) Saddle Up Scholars enjoyed a holiday party in December at Johnny- cake Farm in Windsor Mill, MD, one of the farms within the Schus- ter Riding Program umbrella. The Saddle Up Scholars pictured participate in the Schuster Foundation riding programs in Balti- more. Photo credit: Schuster Concrete and Construction COMING IN THE MAY/JUNE ISSUE! To advertise call (717) 509-9800 or visit eastcoastequestrian.net/advertising_info.php The Devon Horse Show Preview! Distribution from racks on the Devon show grounds! Deadline: April 10