A student at Revere uses a unique outlet as an enrichment activity. Rather than participating in common after school activities, this Senior trains at a barn. She rides and takes care of horses in order to prepare for competitions.
Madeline Binder is a horseback rider at Fox Creek Farm, and she has ridden horses for thirteen years. She trains hard in her discipline, dedicating hours of practice every week.
Binder is very involved in the riding community, even working at multiple barns after school to earn money to put towards her horse. Binder explained her daily schedule.
“I usually go straight to the barn from school. And I either go to my barn where my horse is, or there’s another barn that I work at a couple times a week riding another horse,” Binder said.
Binder’s involvement does not stop there. She competes in multiple states and still makes time for clinics and the Bath Pony Club. Fellow rider and Revere student, Carly Akins, described Bath Pony Club.
“[Bath] Pony Club is an eventing association and it’s meant to make riding accessible for young riders. . . . It’s a good thing to be a part of to learn about horse care and just horses in general,” Akins said.
Although it is a large commitment, Binder enjoys the sport. She rode for most of her life, and will not be stopping anytime soon. She explained her favorite aspect of it.
“It’s a really cool thing to figure out how to communicate with something without using any sort of spoken language,” Binder said.
Binder developed her skills on a horse named Jet, her first horse. Recently, she bought a new, young horse, Otis, from Ireland. Binder’s new adventure for senior year is training with Otis.
“[Otis] came November 28th. . . . I just saw a video of him, and I never thought I would get a horse just based [on] a video and a written paragraph, but I just really, really liked him,” Binder said.
Binder’s previous horse, Jet, is still around, but he was growing tired of the intense work needed at horseback riding competitions, so Binder invested in Otis. Binder explained where Jet went after he stopped competing.
“He is with his old owner because we had a previous agreement that when I was done riding him or when he was going to retire, he would go back to her farm,” Binder said.
Otis marks a new chapter for Binder’s career. Her peers in the riding community are excited for her new opportunity.
“It’s really cool and exciting for her that she is able to work with a very talented young horse and develop him,” Akins said.
Competition season for riding is approaching, the season usually spans from May to October. Binder trains intense hours at the barn in order to prepare for her competitions. She participates in eventing, one of many different types of competition. Jane Papke, Binder’s previous coach, explained eventing and its three parts.
“We start with a dressage test, and everyone in your division is going to do the same pattern, there’s probably like eighteen movements. . . . Then you are going to compete in cross country, which is where the horses run and jump over solid objects. . . . And then after that, you are going to do the final phase which is show jumping,” Papke said.
Papke is the coach that initiated Binder’s love for the sport. Papke started coaching Binder in the summer of 2020. The two have familiarized with each other very well and developed a close bond. Papke described the moment she knew Binder was a tough competitor.
“So she is there with Jet, and she is doing her dressage test. . . .The dressage arena is marked off with a very low fence. And [Jet] was like ‘oh an obstacle,’ and then he jumped out of the dressage arena, and then politely jumped back into the dressage area,” Papke said.
Since Binder had minimal riding experience at that point, Papke was nervous about how she would respond to an unusual situation like this. Papke described Binder’s response.
“You cannot leave the ring, but the judge let her finish her test. That happened and Maddie just kept going. A lot of people that would have totally rattled them and Maddie just kept her head on her shoulders and she finished her test,” Papke said.
Papke was Binder’s first coach for eventing, and she got Binder interested in eventing. Papke moved to South Carolina recently, so now Binder is with a new coach, Kara Andrew. She explained her transition between coaches.
“They’re very different. So it’s been cool to experience two different approaches and training styles,” Binder said.
Binder is a dedicated student of the sport. She has many qualities that contribute to her success at the barn. Akins described her style of riding.
“She is a very patient person and that helps a lot when you are working with horses,” Akins said.
Binder’s coaches have also observed this dedication to the craft. They recognize her hard work and many hours invested. It takes a lot of mental and physical preparation to compete in horseback riding. Papke identified the qualities that have aided Binder’s success.
“Maddie is a true student of the sport. She is always trying to absorb information and she is always working hard. And paying attention not only to her own riding, but also to her peers around her. And she’s tough, she is mentally tough,” Papke said.
Binder uses riding to help her through a lot in her life. One of the big changes was moving to the Revere community. Binder detailed her experience moving schools from Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.
“I was nervous at first but it ended up being fine. Everyone was friendly and I actually came in knowing Emerson [Padgett] through horses,” Binder said.
Binder hopes to lean on the sport again for her transition to college. She plans to attend the University of Kentucky and bring Otis with her.
I feel like [the transition] will be the same for when I go to college, I’ll have something consistent. . . . There’s always something to look forward to,” Binder said.
Binder’s thirteen year long horseback riding career will only grow in the future. She will be on the University of Kentucky eventing team with Otis in the fall.
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