Darby Downs
Equestrian Center
Devoted to the Advancement of Rider Education
In 2003, Penn Township resident Monica Hrovath realized her dream of showing her
new horse, River by Bold Spruce, for the first time, receiving First Place in
her division at a large event held in Middlefield, Ohio. Each year, students
from Plum, Franklin Regional, Penn Trafford, and Gateway School Districts
participate in local hunter/jumper shows, or attend the North Eastern Ohio
Mini-Trials Series, adding many brightly colored ribbons to their collections.
Not everyone wins big, but at Darby Downs Equestrian Center, the goal is to help
students discover new places, learn new riding and showing techniques, and make
new friends.
Darby Downs is a quiet, well-maintained Equestrian Center located
near Irwin, PA. Its operations include lessons, boarding, sales, clinics, camps,
and leasing. The facility is owned by CHA Certified Riding Instructor Karen
Pikovsky, an accomplished rider for over 19 years and a Certified Instructor for
nine years.
Riding Instruction
There are many beginning rider programs in the area, but the focus of the Darby
Downs riding program is the advancement of rider education. At Darby Downs
Equestrian Center, students receive a great deal of individual care and
attention, assisting students in becoming confident and independent with horses.
"Horses are 1200 to 1500 lb animals and know when their handler is nervous,"
Karen explained. "The rider needs to be comfortable working around the horse so
that they gain the horse's respect."
Students at Darby Downs are taught proper handling, saddling and
bridling procedures, and, after their first few initial lessons, are encouraged
to arrive in enough time to take responsibility for preparing the horse for
their lesson, creating an environment of independent horsemanship.
Ongoing lessons are private, 45 minute sessions. The preference for
private lessons and small classes allows as much attention as possible to be
given to each student. Lessons at Darby Downs Equestrian Center focus on all
aspects of equestrian education. Students are not limited to the riding arena in
their lessons, but also experience riding in the fields and on trails. They are
also given the option to attend classes on equine health care, grooming,
showing, horse breeds, riding disciplines, and many other topics. Students also
participate in work/play days, horse trivia nights, monthly group riding
sessions, in-house schooling shows, and various other programs scheduled
throughout the year. Darby Downs is also host to clinics with other specialized
advanced instructors.
Students at Darby Downs do not have to own a horse to ride; school
horses are available. In addition, Darby Downs offers its students the option of
leasing a horse to prepare them for future horse ownership. An Adult Pony Club &
Youth Horsemanship Club that meet monthly are also hosted by the equestrian
center.
In order to constantly improve her own
skills and education, Karen also attends many clinics with internationally
recognized riders and trainers. In doing so she keeps her students up-to-date on
new innovations in riding and training. A listing of Shows and Clinics in Ohio
and PA can be found on the Darby Downs website(www.DarbyDowns.org).
The Three Disciplines of Eventing
The focus of training at Darby Downs
Equestrian Center is Eventing. This is an equestrian sport which encompasses the
disciplines of dressage, stadium jumping and cross country jumping.
The first discipline, Dressage, is derived from a French word for
training. In Dressage the horse should show that he freely submits to the
rider's lightest "aids" or body signals, while remaining balanced and energetic.
Dressage teaches a horse to be obedient, willing, supple and responsive. The
object of dressage is the harmonious development of the horse in both mind and
body. This requires the horse and rider to combine the strength and agility of
gymnastics with the elegance and beauty of ballet. The result is the best blend
of sport and art. In Dressage competitions, riders are scored from 0-10 on a set
series of movements demonstrating the training horse and rider have achieved to
perform each movement.
In Stadium Jumping riders negotiate a course of 12 to 15 fences. The
goal is to maneuver around the jumping course in the time allowed without
knocking over or refusing any of the fences. The courses are designed to test
the horse's and rider's ability to negotiate a variety of fences of differing
heights, widths and technicality.
Cross Country Jumping is the final element of eventing. Also a timed
event, it is centered on jumping obstacles such as banks, ditches, drops, and
water, the type of obstructions naturally encountered in a cross country ride.
Scores are based on course times and whether their mounts refuse when presented
to an obstacle.
History of Darby Downs
Darby Downs will celebrate
its fifth year of operation in July 2004. It has been an ongoing labor of love
that started with Karen in high school. Introduced to horses through a best
friend whose parents owned a horse farm, Karen would help out at their farm and
accompany them to shows, finally convincing her parents to give her riding
lessons. While Karen took time off from horses in College to pursue a degree in
Technical Writing from California University, she never lost her love of horses,
and her spare time was always spent working at barns cleaning stalls and doing
other odd jobs in order to lease a horse.
In 1990, she married husband Joseph, who may have been a little
unsuspecting as to how far Karen's love of the equestrian life would go. At
first she only wanted her own horse, Darby O'Gill, for whom the equestrian
center is named. Later, as Karen went on to gain her Certification as an
instructor and her client base grew, husband and wife would set their eye on the
current stable and training facilities that have come to be a family run
enterprise. Maintaining Darby Downs is a seven day a week, 24 hour a day job,
providing many long hours of work that only horse enthusiasts can understand.
The facilities at Darby Downs include 30 acres of pasture, three
large paddock areas, a 60' X 120' indoor arena, a heated lounge/viewing area and
restroom, outdoor jump course and arena, grass dressage arena, cross country
jumps, hot & cold wash stall with spray boom & rubber matts, 10' X 10' matted
stalls, high grade fans to maintain air circulation in the stable, full size
lockers for boarders, and a riding trail system adjacent to the property.
In October 2003, Karen was presented an award for "Trainer of the
Month," by Everything Horses, a Saddlery Store in Mars, PA. What made the event
special was that it was based on letters written by her students, each stating
why they believed their trainer deserved the award. Karen was not even aware on
her nomination until she had already won!
Boarding and Sales
Darby
Downs operates as a private boarding stable with the goal to provide a relaxed
and enjoyable atmosphere for both horses and their owners. Boarding services
include the daily feeding, turnout, and stall cleaning, so that owners can spend
their time enjoying the company of their equine companion. Veterinary, farrier,
equine dentist, and equine chiropractor visits are scheduled by the barn.
Darby Downs also offers lesson horses, training prospects, or
show-experienced horses for sale. They can assist riders in locating a horse
best suited to their personal needs.
Westmoreland County has so many Great Places, from unique shops to
renowned tourist attractions. Still, we found it remarkable that such
world-class training in horsemanship is available right here at Darby Downs
Equestrian Center.
For more information about Darby Downs Equestrian Center, including
Lessons, Boarding, Sales, Clinics, Camps, and Leasing, please call owner Karen
Pikovsky at 724-864-6044, visit the Darby Downs website at
www.DarbyDowns.org, or email Karen at
DarbyDowns@Comcast.net.
Did you know that revenue from the Pennsylvania equine industry in 2001 totaled
more than $1.12 billion, that the industry employs more than 20,000 people, and
that Pennsylvania has the third largest equine population in the United States,
some 215,000 animals?
Karen Pikovsky at 724-864-6044
visit the Darby Downs website at
www.DarbyDowns.org or email
DarbyDowns@Comcast.net.