A handful of local girls who ride at Nickel-O Farms in West Nyack are preparing to take their equestrian skills to this year's State Fair in Syracuse.
The 10 youngsters — between the ages of 11 and 17 — hail from West Nyack, Valley Cottage, Stony Point and other nearby municipalities. The girls train alongside Nickel-O Farms owner Lisa Owen, and sometimes ride up to six times each week.
At the fair, the girls will be competing against riders from across the state in Trail, Showmanship, Western Rider, Horsemanship and Equitation.
All the riders belong to the Rockland's 4H club, titled "Horses R Us."
"4H is about horses, but also community service—it's above and beyond riding," said Kate Dizzine, whose daughter, Samantha, is among the 10 young riders.
Last year, the 4H club held a fundraiser for at the PetSmart in Nanuet.
"They train so hard," Dizzine added. "This is the culmination—the State Fair is huge."
The girls and their horses (pictured above; browse the gallery for a closer look) will heading out Wednesday, Aug. 29, and showing the following Thursday and Friday.
"It truly is a major accomplishment to represent our local region at a State event," Dizzine said.
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The girls
Brielle Arena - West Nyack: (Horse – Utah)
Jo Ann Coyne - Stony Point: (Horse – Koda)
Rachel Delcher - Mahwah NJ: (Horse - Sunny)
Samantha Dizzine - Valley Cottage: (Horse – Pig Pen)
Mikayla Healy - West Nyack: (Horse - Elvis)
Alexa McConnell - New City: (Horse – Bojangles)
Ali McNamara - West Nyack: (Horse – Coco)
Holly O’Dowd - Stony Point: (Horse – Buddy)
Maggie Yanowitz - New City: (Horse – Molly)
Olivia Zwernemann - Congers: (Horse – Mouse)
