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Don’t try this at home
Transition Vaulters of Renaissance Farm blend dance, gymnastics on horseback
| Story and photos by Chris Villines |
6/28/2013 |
In the world of equine competitions, it’s not unusual to see riders performing intense moves on horseback as they race barrels, rope calves, or wrangle bucking broncs.
But a group of young women in Hawkins County is taking the traditional notion of equine sports and turning it … shall we say … upside down. They’re the Transition Vaulters, members of a competitive equestrian team who perform daredevil stunts on the back of a moving horse. Clad in spandex unitards and soft-soled shoes rather than jeans and cowboy boots, the vaulters describe their discipline as gymnastics-meets-dance on horseback.
“There’s nothing like standing on a horse when it’s carrying you,” says Arielle Blackstone, the 21-year-old daughter of Maria Blackstone, the team’s founder and coach. “You feel so free.”
Though fairly new to this area, vaulting originated in ancient Europe and made its way into the U.S. in the 1960s. The sport is still a novelty to many Americans, though it gained some visibility when it was included in the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky.
Other Tennessee vaulting organizations include Madisonville’s Monroe County Vaulting Club, Spring Hill’s Therapeutic Animal Partners, and Kingston’s Volunteer Vaulting, which has a cooperative relationship with the Transition team. Volunteer’s coach, Allison Yaeger, often practices with the Hawkins County club.
Organized last year, the Transition Vaulters group, ranging in age from 9 to 21, is based at the Blackstones’ Renaissance Farm in Bulls Gap. The family relocated here in 2004 from Rhode Island, where Maria was first introduced to vaulting in the 1990s while operating a therapeutic riding program.
“I was hosting an open house and invited a vaulting team up to give a demonstration,” explains Maria of her initial exposure to the sport. “I had heard about it and wanted to see what it was all about. I was blown away by these kids, not only by what they were able to do on the horse but also by how they were all encouraging one another as a team and taking turns caring for the horse. I said right then, ‘I’ve got to get involved in this!’ So, I ended up calling the coach of that team, and she helped me get one started. That’s the spirit of vaulting … everyone helping each other.”
Maria soon introduced Arielle — just 7 years old at the time — to vaulting. Now Arielle, like her mother, serves as an enthusiastic promoter of the sport and is the most experienced member of the Transition team, which derives its name for the “transitions” that occur from one move to the next.
In direct contrast to Arielle, fellow team member Cheyenne Baird is only in her third month of vaulting. The incoming Bulls Gap School sixth-grader says she instantly “loved” everything about it.
“My Grammy told me about it, and I decided I wanted to try it,” says Cheyenne, 11, who is also a basketball player. “I’ve always liked being around horses, and vaulting is so unique. You can do things on the back of a horse that people normally don’t do, and it’s awesome to be somebody that actually gets to do this stuff!”
Vaulters don’t need prior gymnastics, dance, or even riding experience to join. Kelsie Dill, a 16-year-old rising junior at Morristown-Hamblen High School East, says joining Transition helped her get over her “fear factor” of being on a horse.
“I used to be afraid just riding,” says Kelsie. “I was terrified of falling off the horse. But I started watching them vault, and they convinced me of how safe it was. Now, I can’t imagine not doing it. It’s all about learning to trust the horse and everyone on your team. In vaulting, you have a lot more control over yourself and your body, so you learn how to balance. It’s definitely helped my self-confidence.”
But getting to this point takes hours and hours of training on stationary “barrels” and practicing the moves before ever getting on the horse, she cautions. The disclaimer, “Don’t try this at home,” certainly comes into play for the uninitiated.
“It’s a unique sport, but it’s also one of the most difficult,” Arielle says. “It takes everything you’ve got: flexibility, strength, and the ability to manage your body up on a horse, all while it’s moving. You have to know what you’re doing.”
During a typical practice session, each team member gets a turn aboard the vaulting horse, a 2,000-pound Percheron mare named Mavi, as Maria leads them in a circle via a lunge line attached to the animal’s inside bit ring. The team members not only work on their exercises but also get lessons in taking a tumble off the horse in a safe manner.
Vaulting competitions, which are sanctioned by the American Vaulting Association, consist of seven “compulsory” exercises and choreographed “freestyle” routines performed to music. Among the moves are the “flag,” where the vaulter hops to his or her knees and extends the right leg straight out behind; the “mill,” where the vaulter’s right leg is brought over the horse’s neck; and the “scissors,” where the vaulter swings into a handstand. Vaulters compete as individuals, pairs, and teams. A vaulting horse is not saddled but wears a surcingle, a piece of leather and metal that goes around the horse, over the withers and buckles underneath the belly to provide sturdiness for the vaulters. The horse also wears a bridle and side reins.
“Most of the vaulting horses I’ve used have been riding horses that I’ve trained to vault,” Maria says. “There are some very different things about vaulting that horses have to learn, and we train them very thoroughly. Your horse has to be people-friendly and move in a rhythmic way; it can’t be speeding up and rushing. We ride Mavi on hills and do other exercises to keep her fit so that she’s not just going in a circle seven days a week. That would cause bad muscling.”
With the demands placed on Mavi as the sole vaulting horse for Transition, Maria says it’s important that she provides this equestrian athlete with a top-notch feed and nutritional program. For that, she trusts Co-op Winner’s Cup Endurance 1010 (#303), a premium ration designed to bring out the best in performance horses. The blend of ingredients found in Endurance, including oats, beet pulp, cracked corn, and vegetable oil, provides an optimum balance of essential nutrients, making it the right choice to fuel this hard-working 10-year-old Percheron.
“I like the Endurance because of the high nutritional content for an athlete like Mavi,” says Maria, who purchases all of the feed for Renaissance Farm’s stable of 21 horses from Hawkins Farmers Cooperative. “Her coat is gorgeous, and it helps keep her fit and healthy. Without a healthy horse, there is no Transition Vaulting team. She is the most important member!”
Transition fared well in its first competition on May 25 in Kingston, posting three first-place finishes and four other top-five finishes. Most recently, the team competed at the CVI International Vaulting Championships and Region IX Championships, staged together
June 28-30 in Lexington, Va.
“The good thing about vaulting championships is that there’s a little something for everybody,” Maria says. “No matter what level you’re on, you can compete. And vaulting is really affordable — you don’t have to own a horse, you don’t need any fancy equipment, and you don’t have to live on a horse farm. It’s a year-round sport that teaches teamwork and responsibility while developing trust in the horse and teammates and boosting self-confidence.
“With all of its benefits, we’re trying to promote this great sport as much as we can.”
For more information about Transition Vaulters, call Maria Blackstone at 423-235-9070, e-mail mblackstone@renaissancefarmtn.com or visit www.renaissancefarmtn.com. For more information about Volunteer Vaulting, call Allison Yeager at 865-566-3206 or e-mail vvaulting@gmail.com.
To learn more about Co-op’s complete line of equine feeds, visit with the professionals at your Co-op or visit online at www.ourcoop.com and click on “Product Catalog.”
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