Local Equestrian - Qualifies for IEA National Finals
Cozy Point Ranch is now in the spotlight, hosting the Aspen Equestrian Team, part of the national organization, the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA), established 2002.
Cozy Point Ranch is now in the spotlight, hosting the Aspen Equestrian Team, part of the national organization, the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA), established 2002.
Zoe Guthrie, father David Guthrie, and Trainer Lisa Hall Flynn
The IEA is based in Melrose, Massachusetts. No rider needs to own a horse, and is open to public school, private schools, or barn teams for student riders in grades 6-12. Their slogan is “It’s your future. Take the reins.”
Affordability is the key word for all IEA horsemanship programs.
The two IEA local Teams, have about 20 students on each team. The Aspen Equestrian Team, based at Cozy Point Ranch, Aspen, Colorado, is coached jointly by Lisa Hall Flynn and Michelle Bonfils Thibeault. The Sopris Equestrian Team is based out of the Strang Ranch in Carbondale, Colorado, and is coached by Kristy Gregg and Bridget Strang. Both teams recently competed in a Regional IEA Competition, which qualified them for the Zone Finals. The Sopris Equestrian Team won the IEA Regional Middle School Hunt Seat Championship, with individual student, Mia Ladd, from Eagle, winning at Zone Finals, and going on the IEA Nationals.
At the Zone 8, Regional Qualifying Horse Show in Colorado Springs, Colorado, young competitors from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah gathered to see, who would qualify for the National Championship Hunt Seat Finals in Lexington, Virginia on April 21st – 23rd.
Zoe Gutherie, a 16-year-old, sophomore at Aspen High School won the, Hunt Seat (jumping) over fences division at the September 24th, qualifying for Zone 8. She is going to Virginia with her trainer Lisa Hall Flynn, a long-time instructor at Cozy Point Ranch.
As Zoe’s father put it, “Cozy Point Ranch is an incubator, giving many young people the opportunity to learn, thrive, and grow, using horses as their compass.” Horses teach us work ethic, responsibility, patience, compassion, how to work with others, and how to make and accomplish goals. Kids learn to deal with disappointment, when they don't get that score they'd hoped for, but still have to work hard in the grading. Kids learn that it takes hours, and hours, and hours, and hours of hard work and practice to create a champion, and that success does not happen overnight. It is no coincidence that many of the great business leaders in the world have an equestrian background.
Many families choose to let their children learn about horses through programs like the IEA, children’s riding camps, National Pony Clubs, and even the local, outfitter led trail rides make learning about horses affordable and enjoyable.
Zoe Gutherie is the perfect example of the young equestrians going through the system at Cozy Point Ranch. She is outgoing, friendly, astute, and loves her horse, “Chagal”, a 16 hand, 10 yr old, bay gelding, who is thankful to have Zoe as his partner. Zoe’s family leases “Chagal” from the Aspen Equestrian Team, which makes riding affordable. Many young equestrians work for riding lessons, and from humble beginnings come great expectations and true successes. The Aspen and Sopris IEA Team Trainers all began in this same way. Lisa Hall Flynn graduated from Aspen High School, rode at Cozy Point as a child, started teaching in 2000, and has been passing on her knowledge and passion for horses ever since. Many U S Equestrian Team members have had such modest beginnings.
Cozy Point Ranch is owned by the City of Aspen, and has just gone through a two-year management process, which was approved to implement new upgrades at the facility. The old barn is over 40 years old, and is great need of eventual replacement. A new facility, in keeping with a Western Heritage, ranch design, could still offer affordable riding lessons for our community. Just like the City owned Aspen Recreation Center (ARC) was upgraded to a new beautiful facility, the future of Cozy Point Equestrian will be guided by concerned citizens, who will help financially support the redesign, through private donations, grants, and City allocated funds, to make Cozy Point Ranch the Jewel in the Crown, to the entrance of Aspen and Snowmass Village.
The IEA is based in Melrose, Massachusetts. No rider needs to own a horse, and is open to public school, private schools, or barn teams for student riders in grades 6-12. Their slogan is “It’s your future. Take the reins.”
Affordability is the key word for all IEA horsemanship programs.
The two IEA local Teams, have about 20 students on each team. The Aspen Equestrian Team, based at Cozy Point Ranch, Aspen, Colorado, is coached jointly by Lisa Hall Flynn and Michelle Bonfils Thibeault. The Sopris Equestrian Team is based out of the Strang Ranch in Carbondale, Colorado, and is coached by Kristy Gregg and Bridget Strang. Both teams recently competed in a Regional IEA Competition, which qualified them for the Zone Finals. The Sopris Equestrian Team won the IEA Regional Middle School Hunt Seat Championship, with individual student, Mia Ladd, from Eagle, winning at Zone Finals, and going on the IEA Nationals.
At the Zone 8, Regional Qualifying Horse Show in Colorado Springs, Colorado, young competitors from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah gathered to see, who would qualify for the National Championship Hunt Seat Finals in Lexington, Virginia on April 21st – 23rd.
Zoe Gutherie, a 16-year-old, sophomore at Aspen High School won the, Hunt Seat (jumping) over fences division at the September 24th, qualifying for Zone 8. She is going to Virginia with her trainer Lisa Hall Flynn, a long-time instructor at Cozy Point Ranch.
As Zoe’s father put it, “Cozy Point Ranch is an incubator, giving many young people the opportunity to learn, thrive, and grow, using horses as their compass.” Horses teach us work ethic, responsibility, patience, compassion, how to work with others, and how to make and accomplish goals. Kids learn to deal with disappointment, when they don't get that score they'd hoped for, but still have to work hard in the grading. Kids learn that it takes hours, and hours, and hours, and hours of hard work and practice to create a champion, and that success does not happen overnight. It is no coincidence that many of the great business leaders in the world have an equestrian background.
Many families choose to let their children learn about horses through programs like the IEA, children’s riding camps, National Pony Clubs, and even the local, outfitter led trail rides make learning about horses affordable and enjoyable.
Zoe Gutherie is the perfect example of the young equestrians going through the system at Cozy Point Ranch. She is outgoing, friendly, astute, and loves her horse, “Chagal”, a 16 hand, 10 yr old, bay gelding, who is thankful to have Zoe as his partner. Zoe’s family leases “Chagal” from the Aspen Equestrian Team, which makes riding affordable. Many young equestrians work for riding lessons, and from humble beginnings come great expectations and true successes. The Aspen and Sopris IEA Team Trainers all began in this same way. Lisa Hall Flynn graduated from Aspen High School, rode at Cozy Point as a child, started teaching in 2000, and has been passing on her knowledge and passion for horses ever since. Many U S Equestrian Team members have had such modest beginnings.
Cozy Point Ranch is owned by the City of Aspen, and has just gone through a two-year management process, which was approved to implement new upgrades at the facility. The old barn is over 40 years old, and is great need of eventual replacement. A new facility, in keeping with a Western Heritage, ranch design, could still offer affordable riding lessons for our community. Just like the City owned Aspen Recreation Center (ARC) was upgraded to a new beautiful facility, the future of Cozy Point Equestrian will be guided by concerned citizens, who will help financially support the redesign, through private donations, grants, and City allocated funds, to make Cozy Point Ranch the Jewel in the Crown, to the entrance of Aspen and Snowmass Village.