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235 Hope Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724  /  732.542.4777

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Equestrian Club Members Support Local Riding Program

Beginning this winter, a group of 10 Upper School students will be volunteering at Lincroft’s Sunnyside Equestrian Center as part of its Special People United to Ride program known as SPUR. The Monmouth County Parks System program provides therapeutic horseback riding for children and teens with disabilities. SPUR participants not only learn how to ride and care for a horse, but they also improve their self-esteem, social skills, balance, muscle tone, posture and sensory processing.

Certified instructors help to manage SPUR, but the program also relies heavily on volunteers. In fact, with more than 200 students with disabilities participating in the program each year, SPUR typically needs over 100 volunteers to help care for the horses and lead lessons. Ranney students will help to fill those volunteer slots while also earning community service credits as part of their membership in the school’s Equestrian Club.

The following students and their advisor Ms. Madeleine McCarthy, began training at SPUR this week: Sophia Calve ’16 (Oceanport); Ashton Clancy ’16 (Colts Neck); Ashleigh Conroy-Zugel ’16; Krishawna Goins ’15 (Atlantic Highlands); Isabelle Heckler ’16 (Colts Neck); Natalie Lombardi ’16 (Lincroft): Brianna Marchese ’16 (West Long Branch); Giavanna Marchese ’15 (West Long Branch); Kayla McCarthy ’15 (Manasquan); Adele McKenna ’15 (Rumson); and Claudia Payor ’15 (Atlantic Highlands). In addition to meeting the SPUR staff and horses, they learned about the program, the facility and what their roles as volunteers will entail.

Specifically, the students will be tacking and grooming the horses before and after therapy sessions. They also will help to lead children on their horses throughout Sunnyside’s indoor arena and trails.

Most of the Equestrian Club members know how to ride, and many compete throughout the tri-state area year round. In fact, it was their passion and interest that led to the creation of the Ranney School Equestrian Club last fall, under the leadership of then-freshman Top of Form Ashleigh Conroy-Zugel. The club aims to bring students together who share a common passion for horseback riding (see back story).

“From this experience, I hope the members feel a sense of giving back to the community and working as a team,” says Ashleigh. “Since many of us ride by ourselves with our own trainers, this is a great way to feel part of a team and to represent Ranney. We are also doing some fundraisers to raise money for SPUR scholarships and hope to raise enough for at least two scholarships by the end of the school year.”

Claudia Payor and Isabelle Heckler are serving as team representatives for the 2013-2014 school year. They will be assisting in organizing events and taking on responsibilities to benefit the club.

To stay up to date with Equestrian Club, please visit the Equestrian page in the Athletics section of the Ranney School website.
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.