Alum Coaches UPHA Exceptional Challenge Cup Champion

12/12/2012 Mary Ann Beahon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (573) 592-1127

 

An alumna of William Woods University recently coached one of her students to a national championship in the 14th UPHA Exceptional Challenge Cup for physically and mentally handicapped riders. The finals were held during the American Royal horse show in Kansas City, Mo.
 
Jojo Levy Kyger coached Tanya Janwatanagool, who competed on Good Bar Tiger, known as Jack around the barn. Pat Sweeney, an instructor from Therapeutic Horsemanship in Wentzville, Mo., helped prepare Jack for the competition.
 
Kyger, who graduated from WWU in 2007 with a degree in equestrian science and in 2011 with a Master of Education degree, will use her knowledge of therapeutic riding to teach Survey of Equine-Assisted Therapies next semester at William Woods.
 
The UPHA Exceptional Challenge Cup Riders accepted riders age 12 years and older. They were judged 60 percent on railwork and 40 percent on individual workout. The first round was the individual workout, which included a trot serpentine to the opposite end of the arena and a show trot on either rail back to the line up. The top 10 riders returned for the second round and competed in a regular walk-trot class.
 
The walk -trot division was the largest it had ever been, with 17 competitors from around the nation. Three of the seven students Kyger coached made it to the top 10 round in the walk-trot division.
 
Four of her students were from Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center in Columbia, Mo.; three of whom were competing at the American Royal for the first time. Three walk-trot riders came from Therapeutic Horsemanship.

CUTLINE:
Pat Sweeney (left), an instructor from Therapeutic Horsemanship in Wentzville, Mo., holds Jack, while Jojo Levy Kyger (right) congratulates Tanya Janwatanagool for winning a championship in the UPHA Exceptional Challenge Cup at the American Royal.