Staff
The people at Kensington Stables are as friendly as the horses
and ponies. Here's more info on some of the folks you'll meet around
the stable.
Walker took up riding in college
to lend credence to his imaginary characters in the medieval role-playing
game Dungeons and Dragons. He and his family acquired the stable
in 1993 from the family that had owned it for the previous 100 years.
His expertise extends to many areas of horsemanship and includes
an in-depth knowledge of Prospect Park and the surrounding area.
In addition to his responsibilities as stable owner and manager,
he also provides instruction, leads guided rides through the park,
and rides his horses in a wide variety of events throughout the
Tri-state area. You can email Walker at bhorsetamer@aol.com.
Fran has been a riding instructor
and barn manager at Kensington Stables for the past four years.
She grew up in Westchester County, New York where she took riding
lessons at various stables from the age of five. She has studied
both hunt seat and western pleasure.
Fran bought her first horse at the age of thirty-six. He was a
very young, very green Mexican Mustang she named Benny. Fran brought
Benny to Kensington and cross-trained him herself. He now performs
equally well as a hunter, a western pleasure horse, and in gymkhana.
Kensington Stables is associated with the Staten
Island Horseman's Association 2, which hosts a spring and fall
show season. Fran proved her training methods with both horse and
students by winning year-end Grand and Reserve Championships in
Hunter, English Pleasure, Advanced Western Performance, Open Gymkhana,
Beginner Western Performance, Western Leadline, and Novice Gymkhana.
All of this with Benny being ridden by herself and her students.
Benny has won the high point Horse of the Year Award, the first
(and so far only) horse at Kensington to do so.
Fran bought her second horse, Zoral de Chavin (commonly known as
Dave) in the spring of 2001. He is purebred Peruvian Paso, a five-gaited
horse that is ridden a little like a reining horse and a little
like a dressage horse. Fran is planning to bring to Kensington,
in the spring of 2002 a second Peruvian, Cory, a son of a national
Grand Champion. She is also planning to offer lessons on Peruvians
in 2002. This would be available only to experienced riders who
wish to learn the gaits of this unique breed. If you interested
in this please let us know by E-mail or phone.
Fran's lesson schedule at this time is quite booked, but call for
possible availability or, as barn manager, she will match you with
another fine Kensington instructor who will suit your interest and
skills, from beginner through advanced.
In addition to her duties as manager, trainer, and instructor,
Fran also oversees the student volunteer program. This program is
a way for students to help the stable and learn horsemanship and
care. In addition to the learning experience extra riding hours
are awarded. She plans special events such as free Friday night
show practice, Barbecue rides, annual camping trips and fundraisers
for the improvement of the barn, the bridle paths and schooling
areas.
Teenagers are the mainstays of Kensington Stables. Alina
is the perfect example of this. She joined the Kensington Stable
family as a volunteer about four years ago. Before that, she had
been riding for several years in Long Island and Pennsylvania. Today,
she teaches beginner and intermediate lesson level riding. And she
still gets her fair share of pony parties and trail rides. She continues
taking jumping and western lessons with Fran, in hopes of entering
the hunter classes next show season; and of course always riding
Benny. The horse on whom she won grand champion in western performance
and a
reserve champion in novice gymkhana. Apart from riding, Alina is
a junior at Brooklyn Tech High School. She is considering taking
equine studies in college or photojournalism. Either way she plans
on always being involved with Kensington Stables.
Andrew
began riding in 1999 at Kensington Stables and soon became obsessed.
Since then, he's moved to London, where he rides with his wife Kimberly
at least once a week in the parkland just south-west of the city.
Andrew and Kimberly travel frequently and try to find good places
to ride everywhere they end up. A couple of their recent adventures
include a week-long trek through the mountains of Patagonia and
a long weekend riding cross country near Dublin. Andrew is the Kensington
Stables webmaster, and you can email him at andrew@puntino.com.
In addition to his recreational riding, Andrew is preparing for
his British Horse Society Stage I exams and taking instruction in
show jumping.
Ryka was a former hostler for
the New York City Parks Department Mounted Division. She loves working
with children and counts several disabled yougths among her students
at the stable. She has over 30 riders taking lessons from her. (From
the Northeast Equine Journal, vol. 9, no. 12)
Joel
was born and raised in Brooklyn. He recalls that he was around the
age of five when he fell in love with horses. His mother would take
him on a trolley ride to the stable. His first riding experience
was at the end of a lead line in Prospect Park. He muses, "Ironically,
I am now a participant in the very stable where I began riding half
a century ago." In addition to his hours teaching Western riding
at Kensington Stables, he also teaches English as a second language
in Chinatown.You can email Joel at vincentjoel@hotmail.com.
(From the Northeast Equine Journal, vol. 9, no. 12)
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