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Sometimes, you can see something in a rider before they can see it in themselves. You may not know exactly where their journey will lead. You do not know which discipline they will fall in love with, whether they will want to compete, or what kind of horse will eventually become their horse. You just know there is something there worth watching. That is how I feel about Elisabeth. She has not been riding with us at Dale Rosa Equine for very long, but she is already impressing

This one is pretty special. Mirren has officially joined Dale Rosa Equine’s 300 Hour Club, and when I think about the rider who first walked into our program compared to the horsewoman she is becoming today… 300 hours doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story. Mirren was never the kid who came in thinking she knew everything. Honestly, confidence was one of the biggest things we had to build. She had to learn to trust the horse underneath her. Then she had to learn to trust

Five. Hundred. Hours. There’s something a little different about getting to write that number. Ella has officially reached Dale Rosa Equine’s 500 Hour Club, and you simply cannot spend 500 hours in the saddle without becoming a different rider than the one who started. Those hours have asked a lot of her. They’ve asked her to get stronger. To become more independent. To make decisions without waiting for someone on the ground to tell her what to do. To recognize what her hors

Some accomplishments deserve more than a quick congratulations. This is one of them. This summer, three Dale Rosa Equine students, Ella Gerdes, Loretta Widick, and Bonnie Widick, loaded up their horses and headed west to Oklahoma City for the 2026 National Little Britches Rodeo Association Finals. Seeing their names on a National Finals draw was incredible. Watching them ride through the gate at the OKC Fairgrounds was even better. But if you only saw the pictures from Oklaho

When Brooklyn first came to Dale Rosa Equine, the goal was pretty simple. She wanted to learn enough western riding basics to participate in a barrel racing clinic put on by the Indiana Junior Rodeo Association. Brooklyn wasn't completely new to horses. She came to us with a sporadic background in English riding and hunter/jumper. She had been in the saddle before, but western riding, barrel racing, and the style of horsemanship we teach at Dale Rosa Equine were new. In some

Maverick’s transformation is pretty easy to show in pictures. Before and after. What the pictures don’t show is the best part of his story. This horse wasn’t transformed by one trainer. He wasn’t sent away for 90 days and returned as a finished product. There wasn’t one magical ride where everything suddenly clicked. Maverick was transformed, ride by ride, by students. And somewhere along the way, he started transforming them too. He Was Never Supposed to Be a “Lesson Horse”

When most people think about youth sports, they picture baseball diamonds, football fields, soccer complexes, basketball courts, and volleyball tournaments. Kids show up with their teammates. Parents sit in bleachers or lawn chairs. Coaches run practices. Players rotate in and out of games. Everyone goes home afterward. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But junior rodeo is different. To someone standing outside the fence, it can be hard to explain exactly why. Juni

What a weekend. This past weekend, Dale Rosa Equine packed up and headed to the Illinois Little Britches Association State Finals at Mustang Arena at Spirit Farms in Sheridan, Illinois. From Friday move-in to Sunday awards, the entire weekend was packed with learning moments, confidence breakthroughs, long days, late nights, and memories these girls will never forget. Being new to the Illinois Little Britches Association, we truly did not know what to expect. What we found wa

There are horses that fill stalls. And then there are horses that build a barn. Gibbs was one of those. At Dale Rosa, we don’t measure horses by papers or price tags. We measure them by what they give back. By what they teach. By how they show up when a rider is unsure, unbalanced, or one bad ride away from quitting. Gibbs showed up. Not loud. Not complicated. Just honest. He was the kind of horse you could leave for months, come back to, and he’d meet you right where you wer

Central Indiana Youth Rodeo Association | Hoosier Horse Park, Edinburgh, Indiana Some days we joke that Central is cursed for us. Then we laugh and remind ourselves. Maybe it is not cursed. Maybe it is just a place that keeps us humble. This weekend we hauled to the Central Indiana Youth Rodeo Association rodeo at Hoosier Horse Park in Edinburgh, Indiana. All three of our teenagers and the Widick twins competed. It was one of those weekends where people rotated in and out. El

This weekend, we stepped into a new association, the Illinois Little Britches Association , hosted at Mustang Arena at Spirit Farms in Sheridan. And we were impressed. The facility is farming-beautiful. Clean lines. Functional. Thought out for youth rodeo. The arena is fully indoors and heated, which felt like a gift in these cold temperatures. Stalls were basic 10x10 tube gates on limestone. Simple and practical. The loft held spectators, toys for the littles, bleachers,

Anyone can teach a rider where to put their hands or heels. Not everyone teaches them why. At the barn, we stop rides to talk. We slow things down. We ask questions. We explain what the horse is feeling, not just what the rider is doing. Because memorizing instructions creates followers. Understanding mechanics creates horsemen. When a rider knows why a half-halt works, they do not panic when a horse gets heavy. When they understand how balance affects movement , they st

Last night marked a proud moment. Mirren was presented with her Molly's Custom Silver 100 Hour buckle , a goal she officially reached in late fall of 2025. That buckle represents real time in the saddle. Consistency. Focus. Effort stacked day by day. Along with the buckle, we added Mirren’s name to the 100 Hour banner . That banner is not decoration. It tells a story. Every name on it reflects commitment, growth, and a willingness to do the work even when it is uncomfortable.

Winter has arrived in full force . Negative temperatures, deep snow, and unsafe footing have forced lesson cancellations and a slower pace around the barn. While the break is necessary, it is never easy when routines revolve around horses, movement, and time together in the arena. We officially wrapped up No-Stirrup November , and the progress across our riders has been impressive. Deeper seats, better balance, quieter legs, and stronger body awareness showed up in every le

The last two weekends were packed. Our riders competed at both MYRA and the Central Indiana Junior Rodeo Association. Every rider showed progress. Every horse stepped up. Mirren earned her second Nationals qualifying run in poles. She also pushed her barrel times forward with more control and faster decisions in the turns. Bonnie punched her Nationals ticket in poles. She stayed steady under pressure and kept her patterns clean. Brooklyn rode clean and confident. Her barre

What a weekend. Saturday was packed with wins, lessons, and a lot of laughter. Ella came out strong—2nd out of 41 in barrels and placing in poles and trail too. Mirren had solid, consistent runs and earned her second qualifying pole run for Nationals , showing real progress all the way through. Loretta kept her focus with clean, confident patterns. Bonnie won her division in barrels Saturday , and Ainsley wrapped up the night with 2nd in the breakaway jackpot. Sunday brought

Our indoor arena offers shelter from wind but no heat, so dressing correctly is key. Layering Tips Base Layer: Fitted thermal or long-sleeve shirt. Mid Layer: Fleece or sweatshirt. Outer Layer: Warm but fitted jacket that doesn’t restrict movement or catch on tack. Vests: A vest is one of the best winter riding layers. It keeps your core warm while freeing your shoulders for better movement. Bottoms: Leggings or thermals under jeans or insulated riding pants. Feet: Thic

There’s no better way to sharpen a rider’s feel than taking away their stirrups . No Stirrup November pushes every student — and every muscle — to get honest about balance, alignment, and awareness. Wednesday night’s lesson said it all. The western saddles were traded out for English saddles with the irons removed, and the girls went to work. The before photos show the usual starting points — uneven legs, space between the rider’s calf and the horse’s barrel, toes turned

We are thrilled to welcome Mirren to the barn! She’s an aspiring hunter-jumper who’s making the exciting switch to barrel racing and...

Barrel Dreams Start Young at Dale Rosa Equine This past weekend at the Indiana Junior Rodeo Association (IJRA) , Dale Rosa Equine’s...