Lifestyle

Area horse lovers gather together to have some fun.
 

By Joe Grace
Friday, June 16, 2006 1:21 AM CDT

SYCAMORE - Pam Edwards’ children couldn’t wait to get back from vacation.

That’s right.

While enjoying a week in Gatlinburg, the Edwards children had their minds set on Sycamore.

More specifically, on the Circle K-D arena near Moose Range Road.

The Edwards are members of Circle K-D, a club devoted to horses and those who own and love them. The club meets on Thursdays in the summer at the Moose Range Road arena, where competitions are held and people just ride around and greet each other.

“When they were on vacation, they could hardly stand it,” Edwards said of her children.

The Edwards family is from Sycamore and have been members of the club for four years now.

The eldest daughter, McKenzie, is 15. Her younger sister is Kargan, 9.

The Edwards were one of many families out at the club on a recent Thursday play night. Over 100 people came out to ride, watch and just enjoy each other’s company.

“We’re kind of like a family,” Edwards said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

A little history

Circle K-D began in 1943 with an arena in downtown Sycamore. In the 1970s, the club moved to Moose Range Road in the far northern part of the city, where it struggled for some time.

When Kingston resident Pat Abitua joined the club, membership was way down. To change that, the club instituted play night and warmup shows, which focused on having fun with your horse.

“We wanted to make it family friendly,” Abitua said, who has been riding horses since she was 5 years old.

Abitua has since introduced her four children to horse riding.

On Thursday, she was with her youngest child, Pamela, a Genoa-Kingston High School student.

“They kind of cut their teeth on riding horses out here,” Abitua said.

And while Pamela performs the required groan when her mother rides over and asks if she’ll pose for a picture with her, one can tell the two enjoy each other’s company.

“With teenagers, it’s really hard to find that quality time and to find something you both really like,” Pat said.

A growing club

Circle K-D has really grown in the last few years. It now boasts over 70 families and 200 members.

“We used to know everybody, but now there are so many new faces,” Edwards said. “It’s really nice.”

“People just want to have fun,” said Linda Odom, the club’s president. “It’s a fun club.”

Odom, a Kingston resident, joined the club four years ago, when one of the other members introduced her to it.

“It helped me to be around other horse people,” Odom said. “It helps the camaraderie. It’s a good horse-networking group.”

Arlona Fredrickson, of Maple Park, has been with the club for 7 years, and she is now the publicity chairwoman. She said the club gets people from all over.

On June 8, there were families from Huntley and Woodstock to the north, Kaneville to the east, Hinckley to the south and Rochelle to the west. Sometimes, the play night lasts late into the evening, as horse lovers chat away as the clock nears midnight.

“You sometimes wonder, ‘How am I going to get to work tomorrow?’” Fredrickson said.

Many reasons

Huntley resident Paul Barkowiak took his three daughters to the play night: Stephanie Deiker, 15; Felicia Wudi, 14; and Lindsey Barkowiak, 5. Stephanie and Lindsey use the play nights to train for upcoming shows and competitions.

“You practice some of the things you’re going to do at a breed show,” said Barkowiak, whose daughter Stephanie has been doing shows for four years now.

Others, like the Edwards family, do practice for shows, but are there more for the fun of it than the practice. Not that it keeps them from competing with each other. Pam and her oldest daughter McKenzie frequently compete in the same classes on play night.

“My oldest daughter is better than me now,” Edwards said with a smile. “And she lets me know it.”

And Hampshire resident Yvonne Comm is here to make sure everything goes smoothly. A first-year director, Comm is in charge of three of the play nights this summer. This is her second year with the club.

“I love to have fun on my horse,” said Comm, who has been riding for six years. “And this is a great place to do that.”