Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 23, 1993 TAG: 9310260317
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Vaulting, described as gymnastics on a moving horse, is growing rapidly in the New River Valley. This weekend's fest will be held at the Stoevener Training Stable of Dori-Del Farm on Mount Tabor Road. Teams from Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia will compete in single and team demonstrations. In team demonstrations, up to three vaulters are on a horse at one time.
For the past six years the Mount Tabor 4-H Vaulters, who first brought vaulting to the New River area, practiced at the Stoevener Training Stable.
This year another team, called Meadowcreek Vaulters, started training in Christiansburg. It started out as a summer camp, but trainer Annick Mikailoff saw that the children liked the sport and she started a team herself.
``I think [vaulting] is a wonderful sport for children,'' Mikailoff said. ``It teaches them qualities like persistance, tenacity and courage - you need to have courage to get up on those horses.''
Mikailoff's team ranges in age from 8 to 13 and practices three times a week. At their last competition, called a fest, the team placed second out of 16 teams in kur, which is a routine with free-choice choreography.
``We were the greenest team there,'' Mikailoff said. ``So we were pleased with the results.''
Mikailoff said the primary differences between her team and the Mount Tabor 4-H Vaulters is that ``we are more team-oriented, and Mount Tabor does a lot of individual work.'' Also, she said, ``our kids are riders first,`` whereas Mount Tabor concentrates more on gymnastics.
Doris Dyer, sponsor for the Mount Tabor 4-H Vaulters, said that the 4-H vaulters do enter more individual competitions, primarily because the team is bigger, with 24 members, and more experience.
Dyer said she is pleased that a new team has formed in the area because it makes for better competition and makes the sport more recognized.
``I would like there to be five teams in the area,'' she said.
Dyer expects the Mount Tabor team to do very well this weekend.
Vaulting originally came from Europe and slowly worked its way to California where it became popular in the late 1960s. California is still considered the center of horse vaulting, with the national championship held there practically every year, but the sport is enjoying renewed popularity on the East Coast.
Although many fests have been held there in the past, this is the first time a Region IX Championship has been featured at Dori-Del Farms.
by CNB