Lake Oswego kid enjoys experience at Hobby Horse Championships

When 13-year-old Lake Oswego resident Aubrey Stewart practices hobby horsing — which merges elements of equestrian and gymnastics while utilizing a stick horse — she often gets many questions from onlookers about what she’s doing.

So competing in the inaugural United States Hobby Horse Championships in Almont, Michigan was a relief because so many of her peers were just as knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the sport. Now she’s a part of group chats with dozens of new friends.

“I can talk to people about things I can’t talk to people in my life about because they would not understand what I was talking about,” Stewart said.

Stewart placed fifth in the barrel racing competition and also competed in hunter-jumper and show jumping during the inaugural championships earlier this month.

Stewart already enjoyed horseback riding and came across hobby horsing on YouTube; she learned that practicing the sport could prove beneficial for riding horses. Hobby horsing, Stewart said, helps her practice jumping patterns and approaches, while also improving her leg strength.

“It helps a lot with thinking about how to get around jumps and the best way to move around,” she said.

Hobby Horsing is more popular in Europe and Stewart considered attending events in Canada prior to learning about the inaugural championships in Michigan. Stewart also made her own hobby horse.

Like equestrian and other forms of organized horse-riding activities, hobby horsing involves many different competitions. Some involve speeding through a course as quickly as possible or jumping over obstacles, while others revolve around style and are scored by judges.

“A lot is about stamina and being able to keep a steady pace and keep going. For classes like jumping, you have to be going really fast and jump over obstacles while getting a faster speed to beat everyone in the competition,” Stewart said.

In the barrel competition, where Stewart performed best, she raced around a series of barrels as quickly as she could.

“It felt really nice and it was fun to bring home a ribbon,” she said.

And Stewart has also seen gains in her horseback riding since starting hobby horsing, particularly in feeling stronger and more stable while jumping over barriers. Further, she keeps in touch with her newfound hobby-horsing friends and has taught two of her local friends the sport.