Fun Days and Play Day

SYVR encourages good horsemanship skills at all levels and within all disciplines. To that end, we created "Fun Days", a chance to practice typical Gymkhana Events and Trail Horse Class Events within the privacy of your own club.

This is the perfect opportunity to practice new events, condition a new horse, or refresh an old one. Ideally, the club likes to have 1-2 'Fun Days' prior to the annual PLAY DAY, where the clock is running and the prizes are for real. Here's the photo and newspaper write-up from 1999's Play Day to give you a better feel for what it's all about...

Every year, the Santa Ynez Valley Riders (the family fun, all-breed horse group) holds their "Play Day", a mixture of serious gymkhana competition, fun games and horsemanship. This year's event was held at Mike & Vicky Kappmeyer's Freestyle Farm on Stallion Drive in Santa Ynez.

Riders compete in 3 divisions; Juniors (17 and under), Cowboys (Novice), and Indians (Advanced). This year's events included cloverleaf barrels, keyhole, Washington Poles, figure-8 barrels, water/baton race, and an egg & spoon race. Club members timed and scored the events while families and friends cheered the participants on. Ed Rodriguez tended the BBQ fires throughout the morning's competition.

Winning in the Junior Division with an unprecedented First Place in every event was Amanda Mellon, 12 of Solvang, riding her Quarter Horse "Pearl". Reserve High Point Junior was Kelly Mellon, 11, also of Solvang, riding her Buckskin "Willy". Both girls have been riding with the SYVR since they were 4 and 5, respectively.

Edging out the competition to win the Cowboy Division, Pamela Stableford of Santa Ynez took the trophy with consistently high finishes in every event, competing for the first time on her Arab, "Slick". Close on her heels, club Treasurer Tom Eyestone, riding his Tennessee Walking Horse "Moses" took the Reserve High Point Ribbon.

In the Indian Division, Michael Mellon (Amanda & Kelly's father), riding his Paint Horse "Jessie", scored enough First and Second Place finishes to win the division and the perpetual High Point Trophy. Teamed with daughter Amanda, they beat all other contestants by more than 2 seconds in the water/baton race. Collectively, the Mellon family won 2 trophies and more than 24 ribbons.

Reserve High Point Indian was SYVR newcomer Joe McCollum, of Solvang, with the lowest times of the day in both barrel events on his team penning horse that he bred, raised, and trained himself.

Tom Eyestone also received the club's Special Award Trophy for his untiring service to SYVR. All the awards were presented at a BBQ following the competition on October 2nd.

'We're proud of our long Valley history," explains Robin Martinek, Play Day organizer and longtime SYVR member. "We like to boast that we have riders ranging in age from 4 to 94 on the trail rides and in parades. We welcome all breeds and riding styles and provide members and guests with at least one riding event a month. If you or your family like trail riding, camp-outs, parades, and play days, you should join the Santa Ynez Valley Riders too! "

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