Season Recap: Equestrian Club

Brooke Hayes

SCHOOL IS BETTER WITH HORSES HORSES

Victoria Verberkmoes

Savannah Pastor & Cadence Beecher

Isabella McClain

Sarah Campbell

The Tallulah Falls School equestrian program is a competitive miniature horse show team participating in Open and Miniature Horse Breed Shows. The program is open to middle and upper school students.

Members of the TFS Pony Club are Victoria Verberkmoes, Brooke Hayes, Isabella McClain, Cadence Beecher, Sarah Campbell, and Savannah Pastor. Each club member is assigned a pony to show in specific show events including halter, obstacle in hand and in cart, jumping, and driving classes. Students do not have to own a pony to participate and any level of ability is permissible. Students learn horsemanship and driving skills using ponies and equipment furnished by the school.

Under the direction of Dinah Peevy, an accomplished horsewoman, emerging equestrians work hard to master the basics of horse care and preparing for competition.

“Working with the equestrian team has been a very enjoyable experience for me over the past 15 years. I am so proud of the tremendous progress they have made,” Peevy said.

The equestrian center is located at the TFS Farm near the campus of the TFS Middle School. The team meets in the fall and spring, with students practicing Monday-Thursday. The equipment and ponies are provided by Larry and Dinah Peevy.

Junior, Brooke Hayes is a recent success story for the Tallulah Falls equestrian program winning two national championships. Hayes attended the Shetland Pony Congress Championships in St Louis in July, competing with Crusader in Classic Country Pleasure and Classic Roadster, and showing Giggs in Classic Western Pleasure, Classic Hunter and Classic Jumper. Brooke won National Championships in Modern Shetland Halter with James and Western Pleasure Foundation Shetland with Gigilo.

Brooke Hayes is the first TFS student to win a national championship in her sport.