PrintDesigning their own education programs has helped some riders spend more time in the tack.
For some competitive young equestrians looking for a way to balance their riding and travel schedules with their educations, home schooling makes perfect sense.
Allison Van Sickle, 15, Camarillo, Calif., has been home schooling for seven years.
“I went to a private school, which did not allow much time for riding,” she said. “We had talked about home schooling for a while, did a lot of research on it and finally decided to try it.”
She is enrolled in a distance-learning program through Laurel Springs School, so she receives a year’s worth of lessons and then sends in her work every couple of weeks to be graded and returned.
Van Sickle does most of her studies on her own, with assistance from her parents if she has questions and a tutor to help her with Spanish.
“It’s nice,” she said. “My parents are not super involved, but they’re ready to help any time.”
Van Sickle’s dedication has paid off in the ring. In 2003 she won the Zone 10 Mini Medal Finals, San Fernando Valley Horse Show Association, 12 and under, Finals and the CPHA Children’s/Adult Medal Finals. In 2007 she won the CPHA Foundation Equitation Finals, 14 and under, and had numerous other top placings.
In the jumper ring, she and Amazing Grace won the first round of the FEI Children’s Jumping World Finals and finished fifth overall in 2005. In 2007 Van Sickle’s Blue Bayou was the only horse to go clear in all six West Coast Active Riders trials for the 1.30-meter team at Spruce Meadows (Alta.).
“At Spruce Meadows this year, Blue and I were double clear, and the team finished second,” she said. “We also qualified for the 1.30-meter ‘Final Four’ and won. Blue Bayou was also named best horse. The following week we won two of the three classes at Spruce Meadows and were third in the other.”
Event rider Callie Judy, 15, Columbia, Mo., has her eye on competing at the international levels some day. She’s already earned the 2006 junior/young rider preliminary championship at the American Eventing Championships and a team gold medal at the 2006 North American Young Riders Championships CCI*, both riding Kilkenny Castle. She was the 2006 Area IV Young Rider of the Year and the U.S. Eventing Association’s 2006 Junior/Young Rider Preliminary Rider of the Year.
Judy has been home schooling since the seventh grade, using a distance-learning program through the University of Missouri. She teaches herself with some help from her parents.
She spends half the year in Ocala, Fla., training with Olympic medalist Darren Chiacchia, and she takes both her studies and her riding seriously, spending 7 a.m. to noon at the barn and then doing homework for four hours.
“A lot is online, and I also have textbooks,” she explained. “They also have people I can call if I need help. I have to go in for midterms and exams, which I can do at any high school.”
Van Sickle rides in the mornings and does schoolwork in the afternoons. “It is hard to keep up with school when I am at the horse shows, but I work on the weekends when I am at home,” she said.
For some competitive young equestrians looking for a way to balance their riding and travel schedules with their educations, home schooling makes perfect sense.
Allison Van Sickle, 15, Camarillo, Calif., has been home schooling for seven years.
“I went to a private school, which did not allow much time for riding,” she said. “We had talked about home schooling for a while, did a lot of research on it and finally decided to try it.”
She is enrolled in a distance-learning program through Laurel Springs School, so she receives a year’s worth of lessons and then sends in her work every couple of weeks to be graded and returned.
Van Sickle does most of her studies on her own, with assistance from her parents if she has questions and a tutor to help her with Spanish.
“It’s nice,” she said. “My parents are not super involved, but they’re ready to help any time.”
Van Sickle’s dedication has paid off in the ring. In 2003 she won the Zone 10 Mini Medal Finals, San Fernando Valley Horse Show Association, 12 and under, Finals and the CPHA Children’s/Adult Medal Finals. In 2007 she won the CPHA Foundation Equitation Finals, 14 and under, and had numerous other top placings.
In the jumper ring, she and Amazing Grace won the first round of the FEI Children’s Jumping World Finals and finished fifth overall in 2005. In 2007 Van Sickle’s Blue Bayou was the only horse to go clear in all six West Coast Active Riders trials for the 1.30-meter team at Spruce Meadows (Alta.).
“At Spruce Meadows this year, Blue and I were double clear, and the team finished second,” she said. “We also qualified for the 1.30-meter ‘Final Four’ and won. Blue Bayou was also named best horse. The following week we won two of the three classes at Spruce Meadows and were third in the other.”
Event rider Callie Judy, 15, Columbia, Mo., has her eye on competing at the international levels some day. She’s already earned the 2006 junior/young rider preliminary championship at the American Eventing Championships and a team gold medal at the 2006 North American Young Riders Championships CCI*, both riding Kilkenny Castle. She was the 2006 Area IV Young Rider of the Year and the U.S. Eventing Association’s 2006 Junior/Young Rider Preliminary Rider of the Year.
Judy has been home schooling since the seventh grade, using a distance-learning program through the University of Missouri. She teaches herself with some help from her parents.
She spends half the year in Ocala, Fla., training with Olympic medalist Darren Chiacchia, and she takes both her studies and her riding seriously, spending 7 a.m. to noon at the barn and then doing homework for four hours.
“A lot is online, and I also have textbooks,” she explained. “They also have people I can call if I need help. I have to go in for midterms and exams, which I can do at any high school.”
Van Sickle rides in the mornings and does schoolwork in the afternoons. “It is hard to keep up with school when I am at the horse shows, but I work on the weekends when I am at home,” she said.
