At Myra Grapa's Ranch of Rescued Hope, people don't just ride horses – they dance on them. Equine vaulting is a unique sport that combines dance, gymnastics, and horse-riding in stunning display. While quite common in Europe, horse-vaulting is somewhat unusual in the US, and there are very few places in Wisconsin where the sport is taught.
“I first became interested in vaulting after I'd seen it in a book when I was 15 years old,” said Grapa, who has been operating her Phillips-area horse ranch since 2012. “There weren't any options for me to take lessons at that time, and it kind of became a goal of mine to start a team in the area.”
For the past three years, Grapa has been offering vaulting lessons to anyone – child or adult – who is interested. The program has slowly grown with only two vaulters in the first year, four in the second, and 11 this year. “I really love this sport. Because it is so unique, however, there are not a lot of opportunities for people who would like to learn.”
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