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Days of wine and horses coming to fundraiser at Garrod Farms
By Michele Tjin
Maintaining coordination, creativity, balance and strength atop a moving horse is no easy feat, but the equestrians at Mt. Eden Vaulting Club have been doing so for at least two decades in Saratoga. Along the way, they have picked up international and national honors, and they will give the community a taste of their talents at a fundraiser this weekend.
The club holds its first wine-tasting fund-raiser on April 15, 2-4 p.m., at Garrod Farms, home of the Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards, 22465 Garrod Road. Numerous vaulters, including some who competed at the World Equestrian Games World Vaulting Championships in Germany this past summer, will perform their routines. Additionally, there will be wine and cheese tasting, hors d'oeuvres and dessert available.
Vaulting has been described as dance and gymnastics on top of a horse. The proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward paying for travel expenses and coaches.
"It's a sport where, unlike gymnastics, the chances of making it big are really small; it's a small discipline, and you can achieve great [things]," said Marianne Rose, an officer of Mt. Eden Vaulting Club, one of the oldest vaulting organizations in the United States.
Several of the performers who will be on hand April 15 have received recognition beyond Mt. Eden. Elizabeth Ioannou, 11, of Saratoga, won an American Vaulting Association medal in the bronze division but is now vaulting at the higher silver level. Elizabeth was also a member of the team that won a second-place medal at the world competition in Germany last August. She was the flyer, the athlete who is 12 feet above ground, held up by her partners who are balancing on a horse.
Other Saratoga performers at the fund-raiser include Laura Yelavich, 16, who is an AVA bronze division medalist, and Morgan Rogers, 17, an AVA silver division medalist.
"The sport is something that catches the passion of usually a young girl who enjoys dance and gymnastics and just wants to do something more creative on a horse," Rose said. "We combine all those things."
However, Rose added that even though many young girls have been attracted to the sport, Mt. Eden does have boys who are members.
While the club has hauled in its share of medals, Fabrizio Corno, a parent volunteer, said Mt. Eden is a great place for beginners to learn the basics, and all skill levels will be represented at the fundraiser. Extra funds will come in handy to support the athletes' growth at competitions, he said.
"Vaulting is challenging. You need to be able to perform on a horse, from standing still to trotting," he said.
Tickets to the April 15 fundraiser are $25. For further information or to make reservations, call 408.868.9476 or e-mail MtEdenClub@worldnet.att.net with name, phone number, e-mail address and credit card information.
