RIDING www.ethelwalker.org/riding
For more than 100 years, riding has been a part of daily life at Walker’s. Ethel Walker was an avid equestrian and she emphasized the necessity of developing character as well as intellect. Our program is one that is pedagogicallybased — where you are “taught” to ride, not “trained” — where the riding facilities are viewed as outdoor classrooms, where emphasis is placed on horsewomanship, and where mission-driven social and emotional learning is nurtured.
TRADITIONS For generations, several time-honored riding traditions have been enjoyed by the Walker’s community. Participation in these traditions deepens a student’s experience and creates a lasting connection to Walker’s riding program and its alumnae, many of whom continue to compete at the highest levels both regionally and nationally. Alumnae Ride • Holiday Ride Halloween Ride • Senior Ride Riding Assembly Learn more about these traditions at www.ethelwalker.org/riding.
The mission of The Ethel Walker School riding program is to provide riders at all levels a best-in-class equestrian experience by offering a comprehensive education where teaching and mentorship, on-campus state-of-theart facilities and a premier riding program.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS • Two nationally-recognized trainers for all levels of riding • Participation at national horse shows and all major national finals • Scholar-Athlete program honoring riders who have a cumulative GPA above 3.5 and ride at the varsity-level for three seasons
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25 School-owned horses Middle and Upper School IEA Teams Group and private lesson options Horsemanship and equine care classes Advanced Equine Science course taught by a licensed veterinarian
FACILITIES The Equestrian Center, located on Walker’s 175-acre campus, is considered one of the premier equestrian facilities at any school in the country, with the main barn, indoor/outdoor riding rings, winding trails and extensive turnouts located just steps from academic buildings, the gymnasium, library and dorms.
• State-of-the-art indoor arena with top performance footing and a full-length viewing gallery • Capacity to stable 65 horses • Three temperature-controlled tack rooms • Heated wash stalls • Outdoor 175’ x 350’ sand arena • 14 individual paddocks with all-weather footing and winterized automatic watering troughs • 175-acre campus with access to trails and turnouts
PROGRAM LEADERSHIP LINDA LANGMEIER Director of Riding/Head Trainer Linda is an accomplished horsewoman who has been riding since she was five years old. As a Junior rider she won the ASPCA Maclay Equitation Finals in 1983 and was the winner of the 1988 Sugarbush Grand Prix and the 2013 Fidelity Grand Prix. She has earned numerous championships in the Hunter and Jumper divisions at such shows as The Winter Equestrian Festival, Devon, Lake Placid, Vermont Summer Festival, The American Gold Cup, PA National Horse Show, Washington International Horse Show and The National Horse Show.
JO SEAVER ’99 Senior Trainer Joanna “Jo” is a 1999 graduate of Walker’s. She worked for several years at Kelianda Farm as an assistant trainer. In this role, she assisted with coaching students including McKayla Langmeier and Jordyn Rose Freedman through to the national level including the ASPCA Maclay Finals, Dover Saddlery/USEF Medal Finals, WIHS Equitation Finals and the USET Talent Search Finals.
View our full staff listing at www.ethelwalker.org/riding
230 Bushy Hill Road Simsbury, CT 06070 860-408-4200 www.ethelwalker.org/riding
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