English lessons

Cowboy hats have been replaced with skunk helmets at Fox Run Stables, the English-style riding equestrian community between Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

At the full-service hunter-jumper training facility at 121 Fox Run, off of County Route 618, Tricia LaFoe and Julia Rupke have provided lessons for beginners through advanced riders since late last year.

According to LaFoe, the difference with Western and English riding is the saddle. Opposed to Western style, the English saddle is less bulky and does not have a horn, allowing the horse more freedom of movement, whether running or jumping.

"More people are coming to the area from places where people ride like this," said LaFoe, who's been riding both Western and English since age 11.

Rupke, who has won many championships on the Southeast hunter-jumper circuit and served on the U.S. Olympic Committee, is a private riding instructor and a hunter-jumper trainer. She said people would probably have to travel 150 to 200 miles to find someone to teach the hunter-jumper discipline at that level.

Maddie Rupke warmed up Rumor, a Dutch warm blood, before practicing jumps Friday at Fox Run Stables.

"Riding has always been my passion, and I'm very fortunate that I could continue doing it with this opportunity at Fox Run Stables," Rupke said. "By making English riding friendly and exciting, Tricia and I are hoping to expand this type of riding until people become as passionate about it as we are."

The 75-acre equestrian community features a 150-by-250-foot outdoor riding ring with sand footing and a full jump course, plus a fully enclosed 80-by-160-foot ring with a separate viewing area for year-round riding, attached to a 20-stall barn. The owners are accepting a limited number of horses for board.

There's also a 60-foot lounge ring for working young horses, lounge lessons and daily exercise. Every horse is treated independently and fed according to its needs, LaFoe said.

Indoor and outdoor arenas are available for schooling, depending on weather and scheduled activities. Several special five-day sessions will be offered throughout the summer for ages 8 and up.

"We exercise safety and balance," Rupke said. "We challenge the confidence of our students according to their individual goals and skills."

Sharing option

Riders can purchase a portion of the land around Fox Run Stables and become a member of the pony club, allowing usage of the facilities and everything that goes with it.

"Sharing makes it more affordable for everyone," LaFoe said. "Rather than having to build their own stable, we'll share expenses with like-minded people."

The pastures are rotated and cultivated for general maintenance and parasite control. All horses are wormed and vaccinated several times a year. Owners bear the expense, but everything is handled in a clinical fashion.

An avid foxhunter, Rupke is an active member of the Shawnee Hounds of Illinois, a club devoted to the sport. She believes if all goes according to plan, by next year some of her students who are part of the foxhunt club will be able to chase foxes, as she puts it, at Fox Run Stables. They've chased gray foxes, red foxes, coyotes and bobcats, rarely killing any animals.

"It's just a great way to see the open country range and gallop with your horse," she said. "You get to travel beneath the eagles and witness the wild side of the country that some don't have the chance to see."

Students at Fox Run Stables will put on an exhibition show open to the public from 2 to 4 p.m. May 20.

tkrakowiak@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137