Inspiring

New equestrian Inspiration Arena opens at Lake Erie College

Lake Erie College officially opened its new equestrian Inspiration Arena on Aug. 14.

Located at the college’s Equestrian Center, 8031 Morley Road in Painesville, the $750,000 building provides a 250-by-80foot arena for equestrian students to practice, adding to the college’s prior arena located in the George M. Humphrey Center.

The original arena is 250 by 100 feet with an attached warm-up ring that is 70 by 120 feet. The Inspiration Arena will also act as a warm-up space for community members when Lake Erie hosts competitions.

Wendy Burtt, coordinator of equine studies, said the college provides between 50 and 60 horses for students, and students struggled to find time to practice prior to the Inspiration Center.

Burtt said the new arena now has “doubled riding space” for students and will “allow students to have access to a diversity of riding experience.”

Dr. Pam Hess, dean of the school of equine studies, said all classes in the four equine studies majors — equestrian facility management, equestrian teacher/ trainer-English, equine entrepreneurship and equine therapeutic horsemanship — previously had to share the riding space.

She said the original ring was filled with all students ranging from hunters, jumpers, Western riding, dressage and therapeutic riding. With the addition to the new building, Hess said the original arena will be used primarily for hunters and jumpers. The new ring will be used for Western

riding, dressage and therapeutic riding.

“Students today wanted more opportunities to ride more, more time to be in the ring on their horses,” said Hess. “There was very little opportunity for students to practice and take extra lessons.”

In addition to offering more riding space to students, she said the Inspiration Arena will assist in preparation for shows.

“Lake Erie College has always presented horse shows to the equestrian community in Northeast Ohio. We’ll be very excited to welcome our equestrian competition riders to share in these rings,” said Hess.

On Sept. 19 the college will host a dressage schooling show for a limited number of riders with no spectators, she said. The event will follow proper CDC guidelines.

The Inspiration Arena will also act as a warmup space for community members when Lake Erie hosts competitions.

JUSTIN RANSOM — THE NEWS-HERALD The new Inspiration Arena located at Lake Eire College is 250 by 80 feet and provides training for students and a warm up area for competitors.

JUSTIN RANSOM — THE NEWS-HERALD Lake Erie College officially opened its Inspiration Arena equestrian riding center on Friday Aug. 14.