Kelowna horseback riding show draws hundreds

KELOWNA – It’s the only show of its kind in the Okanagan, and it brings hundreds of locals and visitors with the same passion together. The Kelowna Riding Club’s Hunter Jumper Show kicked off Thursday. Riders of all ages come together to hone their skills and take a shot at one of the top spots.

“Hunters are judged based on style and their riding ability. Jumpers are judged on time and the number of faults,” explains Chris Edward-Jones, Show Manager at Kelowna Riding Club.

The riders are required to memorize their course, then work as a team with their mount.

“You have to be working in unison with your horse, you can’t be thinking ahead of your horse,” says event participant Ilona Berbekar. “You have to be riding at the same speed and keeping the horse up with you. You have to give them the heads up when you’ve got a sharp turn.”

Fourteen-year-old Hailey Avery, another event participant, agrees. She says a rider’s failure to be in sync with their horse can bring the ride to a sudden halt.

“They just get nervous sometimes so they’ll stop if you don’t have enough leg and you’re not telling them to go,” says Avery.

Despite everything, the riders have to juggle both mentally and physically; their goal is to make it look effortless.

“It’s one of those things, you have to bond with these animals. You can’t just hop on,” explains event participant Lynette Hay. “It looks a lot simpler than it is and that’s the goal, to make it look easy but there’s a lot of work that goes into it.”

There are 120 horses registered for the event, which runs until Sunday at the Kelowna Riding club. Organizers welcome the public to check out the show for free on any of those days. Click here for more information.