MEETING MADDIE
LETHBRIDGE THERAPEUTIC RIDING ASSOCIATION EVENT BENEFITS RIDERS AND HORSES
Alexis Skriver and Maia Boorsma get a chance to meet Maddie, along with the rest of their Lethbridge Christian School kindergarten classmates during a field trip Thursday to the Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association arena. The LRTA is hosting its Ride Into Christmas event this Sunday from 4-7 p.m. at their centre just east of the city.
The Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association is inviting the public to “Ride Into Christmas” with its annual event on Sunday from 4-7 p.m.
LTRA executive director Tony Deys said the association is beneficial not only for people who come out to ride but for the horses as well.
“This is their strength, is bonding with people and mirroring people’s feelings. It’s a pretty symbiotic relationship between the two.”
This free event will feature horse rides, Christmas music, Doris Wichers Winter Wonderland, petting zoo, food and drinks, a fire to keep warm, the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and Santa on site.
“For us, the event is about awareness of the LTRA but also to help people get into the Christmas spirit,” said Deys. “It all kind of centres around the Doris Wichers Wonderland displays which is how the whole thing first started.”
Local businessman, the late John Wichers, was previously involved with the LTRA for many years, and his wife Doris had an extensive collection of Christmas houses that were donated to the LTRA by her family when she passed.
Since Doris had started inviting people to see her magnificent Christmas houses displayed in her home, the LTRA wanted a way of keeping up with the tradition of the displays at the “Ride Into Christmas” event.
Kindergarten classes on field trips to the LTRA will also get to see the Winter Wonderland displays throughout the month.
LTRA is located just east of Lethbridge on Hwy. 512 on the jail road, halfway between Lethbridge and Coaldale.