On Friday, October 15, 2021, Hope in the Saddle announced Valley View Vaulters as the winner of its second annual Tack Room Makeover contest.
The Tack Room Makeover contest is a national contest hosted by Hope in the Saddle, along with sponsors Nutrena Feed and Tractor Supply Company, to recognize the incredible, transformative work being done by therapeutic riding centers throughout the country. The contest required entrants to nominate a therapeutic riding center via a brief essay.
Selected from more than 900 entries, Valley View Vaulters of Lake View Terrace, California, was chosen as the winner. Donna Hensley, a volunteer there, nominated the organization. Unique in their integrative approach, Valley View Vaulters is one of the few mainstream competitive vaulting centers that has riders both with and without disabilities participate in one inclusive environment. A third of Valley View Vaulting’s participants have disabilities, including amputations, autism, vision impairment, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, learning disorders, and more.
“Valley View Vaulters recognizes the need for people of all abilities to work and learn together, which helps all our vaulters—regardless of their abilities—to become sensitive to and accepting of people with different needs,” explains Hensley in her nomination essay. “The traits and values [learned through vaulting] enable individuals to live a more independent and productive life, whether they have disabilities or not.”
For their prize package, Valley View Vaulters will receive around 500 pounds of Nutrena® Equine Feed, a $500 Tractor Supply Company gift card, a nutrition consult with a Nutrena feed expert, a custom barn sign, a Hope in the Saddle jacket, a 12-month subscription to any Equine Network magazine, and more. Hensley will also receive a prize package.
“I am constantly amazed and inspired by the work being done by therapeutic riding organizations,” says Hope in the Saddle program manager Lauren Feldman. “I’ve read hundreds of stories about first steps, first words, and first hugs—all thanks to the healing power of horses and the wonderful people who facilitate equine-assisted therapy programs. Going through these nominations is the best part of my job.”
Read the full nomination essay for the Tack Room Makeover winner at https://hopeinthesaddle.com/horses-as-healers/2021-hope-in-the-saddle-tack-room-makeover-winner-valley-view-vaulters.
About Equine Network LLC’s Hope in the Saddle
The Equine Network’s membership services are designed to entertain, support, and inform the equine community, and include unique tech-enabled services for horse owners, live equestrian competitions, innovative content, and engaging digital experiences. The Equine Network also offers a valuable channel for marketing solutions through well-known equine industry information platforms—including Hope in the Saddle—that reach more than 3 million individuals and 600-plus leading companies. Learn more at equinetwork.com
The mission of Hope in the Saddle is to share some of the most meaningful and important stories to emerge from the equestrian world—stories of how our relationships with horses can help us overcome life’s toughest challenges. If you’d like to share your story, visit HopeInTheSaddle.com.
About Cargill
Cargill’s 155,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 153 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture.
For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center. For more information on Nutrena Feeds, visit Nutrenaworld.com.
About Tractor Supply Company
Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO), the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, has been passionate about serving its unique niche, targeting the needs of recreational farmers, ranchers and all those who enjoy living the rural lifestyle, for more than 80 years. Tractor Supply offers an extensive mix of products necessary to care for home, land, pets and animals with a focus on product localization, exclusive brands and legendary customer service for the Out Here lifestyle. With more than 45,000 Team Members, the Company’s physical store assets, combined with its digital capabilities, offer customers the convenience of purchasing products they need anytime, anywhere and any way they choose at the everyday low prices they deserve. At September 25, 2021, the Company operated 1,967 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states, a consumer mobile app and an e-commerce website at www.TractorSupply.com.
Tractor Supply Company also owns and operates Petsense, a small-box pet specialty supply retailer focused on meeting the needs of pet owners, primarily in small and mid-size communities, and offering a variety of pet products and services. At September 25, 2021, the Company operated 177 Petsense stores in 23 states. For more information on Petsense, visit www.Petsense.com.
To stay up to date on all things for Life Out Here, follow Tractor Supply on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Contact:
Lauren Feldman, Hope in the Saddle program manager
lfeldman@equinenetwork.com