A group of kids from the inner city of Philadelphia have made a name for themselves as one of the top high school polo teams in the country. The thrill of pony racing also pulses in their blood as seen at the Cheshire Point to Point last Sunday.
These equestrians, ages 7-19, are part of Work to Ride, a long term community based riding program that aids disadvantaged urban youth and teaches them horsemanship, polo and pony racing. Based out of Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, the non-profit fielded the first Afro-American polo team in the country and has twice won the National Interscholastic Polo Championships.
I had the good fortune to catch up with Lezlie Hiner, founder of Work to Ride and Marisol Jimenez, one of her jockeys:
An hour earlier Marisol Jimenez in the warm up area on Lyric where she was able to watch the finish of The Small Pony Race.
Over the line first in The Small Pony Race was Teddy Davies and 12 year old Hoof Hearted.
Behind Davies was a determined Max McKenna and Laffy Taffy followed by Elizabeth Barr and Glenhaven Echo.
Then it was time for Jimenez to head down to the starting line.
From the start, Marisol Jimenez (left) and Nina McKenna (right) were at the front of the pack battling it out, neck and neck.
Nina McKenna and Fionna surged at the finish to beat Marisol Jimenez and Lyric by a nose.
Jimenez was pretty shy when I talked to her after the race; she kept burying her head into Hiner’s shoulder or looking up at me with her big beautiful eyes, but Hiner said that her little jockey was already thinking about next week’s race and was pumped to discover that her pony had more speed than she thought possible.
The pony races were peppered with names like Not Phunny, Jigsaw and Mookie Monster, but one of our favorites was Betty the Brat ridden by Mosiah Gravesand of Work to Ride.
And Julian Penados, with his soft hands, was the third rider representing the Work to Ride team. He raced Strawberry in the The Large Pony division.
The Cheshire community has been a long time supporter of Work to Ride. Hiner gives special credit to Anne Moran, two time winner of the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup and a long time member of the Cheshire Hunt for helping to introduce Work to Ride kids to pony racing in 2001. The foray into pony racing all began when a friend of Hiner’s told her about the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup Field Master Chase.
“Without knowing anything about it, we entered a couple of horses that I knew would jump cross country,” said Hiner. “Anne Moran arranged for us to do a trial run a week prior to racing to see if the kids and horses were up to it. She has always been very supportive of our kids racing.” And the rest was history. Work to Ride kids went on to race at Plumstead Pony Races and other local events.
Another member of the Cheshire Hunt, Suzanne Kloud, stepped forward in 2012 wanting to give back. She said, as a chiropractor she didn’t have a lot of money, but she could contribute her time and energy.
L-R: Marisol Jimenez, Suzanne Kloud and Lezlie Hiner
“I met Suzanne either at the PA Hunt Cup or the Plumstead races,” recalls Hiner. “She must have been watching our kids ride for a while and approached me about having our Work to Ride kids help break her yearling that she’d won in fundraiser.”
Kloud came up with an idea to sponsor two kids each year at the Cheshire Fox Hunting Camp, a program that develops the skills and knowledge to successfully ride out cross-country and to fox hunt. Each summer the kids stay with Kloud for the duration of the camp and she transports ponies back and forth to camp each day.
“Wendy Powell and Cindy Buchanan have, also, been helpful,” said Hiner. “Sometimes our ponies didn’t fit well in camp so Wendy and Cindy have come to the rescue and provided ponies for our kids.” Editor’s note: We can’t help, but wonder if Betty the Brat lived up to her name?
The Work to Ride kids race just about every weekend through mid May. Tomorrow they will be running at the Brandywine Hills Point to Point. Other upcoming races are Fair Hill Point to Point on April 17, followed by the Maryland Junior Hunt Cup on May 1, Winterthur on May 8 and the season will conclude with the Willowdale Steeplechase on May 15. Come cheer them on.
Work to Ride is more than horses, it is about life and developing life skills. With the voice of a proud teacher, I overheard Hiner say that one of her students had just gotten into UVA and was waiting to hear back from Cornell. Hiner is a force and her enthusiasm is contagious. She not only provides confidence and opportunity for kids, but she also enfolds the community in the joy of giving back.
If you would like to learn more about Work to Ride click here.