Riders from Stonehaven Farms compete at nationals

Lisa Vidaurri Bowling, The Monroe News
·3 min read
Riders from Stonehaven Farms in Temperance competed at Hunt Seat National Finals in Tryon, N.C. Pictured are, from left, Rylee Frederick, Taytum Schoch, IEA team coach Samantha Rothman, Kendyl Delp-Hartbarger and Vivienne Walrod.
Riders from Stonehaven Farms in Temperance competed at Hunt Seat National Finals in Tryon, N.C. Pictured are, from left, Rylee Frederick, Taytum Schoch, IEA team coach Samantha Rothman, Kendyl Delp-Hartbarger and Vivienne Walrod.

TEMPERANCE – Stonehaven Farm’s middle school Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) team qualified to compete at the Hunt Seat National Finals in Tryon, North Carolina.

More than 600 of the nation’s leading middle and high school equestrian athletes, in grades 4-12, representing 206 different teams from across the United States and Canada participated at last month’s competition.

Riders representing Stonehaven Farms were Kendyl Delp-Hartbarger, 13, of Malinta, Ohio; Rylee Frederick, 13, of Toledo, Ohio; Taytum Schoch, 13, of Temperance and Vivienne Walrod, 11, of Sylvania, Ohio. Also qualifying as an individual rider was Emma Abbott, 15, of Macomb, Ohio.

Delp-Hartbager took fifth place in the nation for the middle school team in the intermediate division. Frederick placed ninth in the nation for the middle school team in the intermediate division. Schoch placed 10th in the nation for the middle school team in the novice division, and Walrod took fourth place in the nation for the middle school team in walk/trot/canter division. Abbott placed eighth in the nation in the individual novice division.

The team’s success is a significant achievement for riders, trainers and the farm, according to Donna Rothman, owner of Stonehaven Farms, 351 W. Samaria Road in Temperance. Well-rounded horsemanship and adaptable riding are integral to succeeding in IEA competitions.

“There’s more than 10,000 riders in IEA and only 600 from across the United States will end up going to nationals,” Rothman said. “We had five that qualified, four for the team and one individual. There were 18 teams that qualified out of the hundreds of teams and 18 riders in each division qualified. Our team consists of talented and hardworking riders who have been preparing for this moment for months. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our riders and we are proud of their hard work and dedication.”

Pictured is Emma Abbott, left, with Donna Rothman, IEA team coach and owner of Stonehaven Farms in Temperance. Abbott competed at Hunt Seat National Finals in Tryon, N.C., and placed eighth in the nation in the individual novice division.
Pictured is Emma Abbott, left, with Donna Rothman, IEA team coach and owner of Stonehaven Farms in Temperance. Abbott competed at Hunt Seat National Finals in Tryon, N.C., and placed eighth in the nation in the individual novice division.

This is the first time an entire team has qualified. In previous years, Stonehaven has had riders compete individually. The riders competed in a variety of events, including equitation on the flat and jumping over fences. Riders were judged on their riding ability and horsemanship skills.

Rothman provided information about IEA promoting equestrian competition for middle and high school students.

According to a written statement, the association offers riders the ability to compete individually as well as part of a team, regardless of their riding level or experience. IEA is unique as riders do not have to own or lease their own horse to compete, which is required for ordinary horse showing. Instead, the team hosting a show will provide horses, which are then assigned randomly. IEA competitions emphasize the importance of catch-riding skills, as very little to no warm-up practice is allowed before each class on horses that are likely new to the rider.

Rothman along with her daughter, Samantha, work together to coach the riders on the 55-acre farm. There are three riding arenas, open riding areas and grass pastures. Riders, from 4 to 70 years of age, take lessons. On average, 60-80 people are scheduled each week for lessons or lease riding.

“Riding season is year-round. We have a huge indoor riding area. IEA only operates from September until the end of April with nationals,” she said.

Stonehaven Farms was originally located on Sterns Road near the quarry. Donna Rothman started working there and became manager in 1991. In 2005, Tim and Donna Rothman purchased the existing horse farm and moved the business to its present location on West Samaria Road.

Donna is a certified trainer by the United States Hunter Jumper Association. She has more than 45 years of experience with horses, 30 years of training riders and horses and over 40 years of circuit show experience. Samantha Rothman graduated from Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, with a degree in equine teacher/trainer and business. She currently teaches lessons at her parents’ farm, training young horses, running the horse shows and coaching the equestrian teams along with coaching and showing riders at circuit shows off the farm.

More information on Stonehaven Farms can be found at Facebook at tinyurl.com/stonehavenfarms.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Riders from Stonehaven Farms compete at nationals