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Equine therapy group hosts 15th annual Round-Up
This town has its fair share of fairs and rodeos, where the goats, chickens, pigs and cows are the stars of the show. But this weekend, the riders will be taking center stage at the 15th Annual RED Arena Round-Up.
RED stands for Riding Equines for the Disabled, and it was founded here in Dripping Springs by Jennifer Young, a physical therapist who saw the promise of equine therapy for her patients. Since its creation, this nonprofit has continued to grow, and it’s no one-trick pony.
RED Arena’s horses provide over 200 sessions per week with therapeutic/adaptive riding lessons, hippotherapy/ physical therapy on the horse, job training, reading to the horses and inclusive summer camps for all ability levels. And the Round-Up, which is Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., is its biggest showcase of the year.
“Our kids and adults with disabilities are riding horses all year as part of their therapies or they're doing riding lessons, and so the Round-Up is a chance for them to showcase what they've learned for the year,” Young said. “Their families and friends come, but we really love the community to come out also.”
Young said for those who don’t know much about horses, it’s a fun introduction. The Round-Up includes a barbecue and a silent auction, as well as the performances. The Round-Up is also RED Arena’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
“It raises almost a quarter of our budget each year so that we can take good care of the horses and provide scholarships for participants that can't afford to pay,” Young said. “And it kind of helps offset the cost for everyone.”
There’s no cost to attend or to park, but Young said attendees might want to bring money for food or for the silent auction, which is huge.
“We have tons of local businesses that have donated, and so you have everything you need in the silent auction,” Young said.
The event kicks off on Friday evening, and there will be free tastings from Dripping Springs Distilling. CraigO’s food truck will also be there, and will be donating a portion of the proceeds back to RED Arena.
On Saturday, there are free games for the kids under the covered parking area. They are school carnival style, and the kids can win prizes. The mini horses are also out there for everyone to meet and pet. There are a variety of food options, including barbecue plates provided by RED Arena’s farrier (who trims the horses’ hooves and puts on their shoes).
“He buys it and cooks it and donates it, so when we sell the barbecue plates, 100% of that goes to RED Arena,” Young said.
This year, there will be a couple of special guests at the event who have been involved with RED Arena for many years. One of those is Brian McCoy, chairman of the board for McCoy’s Building Supply. He and his family have been big financial supporters of the organization. In fact, his mother, Miriam McCoy, donated a million dollars to build the Dripping Springs arena.
“When I started it in 2008 we didn't have a covered arena, so if it rained or it's too hot or too cold, we had to cancel our sessions,” Young said.
Brian McCoy and his wife also have personally funded improvements and repairs to the San Marcos location, which was donated in 2018.
“Brian McCoy is going to be a special guest arena judge on Saturday morning, so he'll be coming out to help pass out the ribbons to the riders,” Young said.
Another special guest is Reagan Lowman, who was one of the first five kids that Young worked with when she started out in 2008, with just one horse. Reagan’s parents had been told that she would never walk. Somehow, they found out about Young and brought Reagan to her.
“They were just heartbroken because they thought she was making good progress, but the doctors said not so much,” Young said. “When we got Reagan on the horse for the first time, she cried and screamed for about five minutes, and then she was so happy and excited. That week after she rode the horse for the first time, she started walking. So it was this crazy miracle.”
Reagan continued on in the program, and eventually became a Special Olympics ambassador and a public speaker, helping to raise awareness of the Special Olympics and RED Arena. She’s now at Auburn College, and is coming home for the Round-Up.
“She's going to be another one of our special guest arena judges, having been through the whole program and just being such a success and such a hard working, determined little girl that has become this amazing young woman,” Young said.
Young said it’s rewarding to see the kids who have been involved in the program participating in the activities, but that she also really looks forward to seeing all the new RED Arena families at the Round-Up. Their kids will be competing in various events - like an eggand- spoon challenge on horseback, or a silly dress-up race - and a lot of times the families are nervous and don’t really know what to expect.
“When their families see them competing and they get their ribbon and the kids are so excited and their family is so excited, that's my favorite part,” Young said. “For a lot of our kiddos it might be the only time they get to win a ribbon or participate in a competition, and so that's really special for me.”
To see the full program for the RED Arena Round-Up, go to www.redarena.org.
