Willow Glen Resident | 0234

August 14, 2002 Willow Glen, California Since 1992

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer

Gymnastics on Horseback: Elizabeth Naumann, 12, bottom, and Megan Lanfri, 12, practice their vaulting on 'Rusty.' Naumann has been practicing the sport for the past seven years, Lanfri for four.

Area students vault to excellence

By ennifer Zhang & I-chun Che

Megan Lanfri, 12, first fell in love with horses when she rode a pony at a birthday party.

"I love horses," says Lanfri, an eighth-grader at Valley Christian Junior High School. "They are nice, smart and really fun to ride."

But Lanfri does more than just ride. Her love for horses has led her to pursue a unique sport—vaulting.

According to Jim Ashborn, media relations specialist for the American Vaulting Association, vaulting is basically gymnastics on the back of a moving horse.

"It's much like ice dancing on horseback," he explains.

Although it might not be a popular sport, vaulting has a rich history. According to Emma Drinker, Lanfri's coach of four years, vaulting originated in Europe and has been around since Roman times, when children were taught vaulting to learn balance and build confidence. The sport made its first appearance in the United States back in the 1920s, when calvary soldiers practiced it to improve their riding skills.

Carrying up to three vaulters or 500 pounds in team events, vaulting horses are usually stronger and bigger than regular horses, though not always. Common types of vaulting horses are Percherons and those from the warmblood breeds.

Photograph courtesy of the Baggerly family

Equestrian Discipline: While 'Rusty' waits for his commands, Megan Lanfri, right, gets some coaching from Emma Drink, head coach of the Mt. Eden Vaulting Club.

"Vaulting horses are all shapes and sizes," says Drinker. "The most important thing is that they have a good temperament and not mind being around kids all the time."

In 1956, Elizabeth Searle of Soquel popularized vaulting as a youth sport in the area by showing films of a German vaulting competition and establishing the first local vaulting club in Santa Cruz County.

There are now more than 80 American Vaulting Association clubs in 32 states across the country, from Hawaii to Massachusetts. These clubs comprise more than 1,000 vaulting enthusiasts of all ages.

"The good thing about vaulting is that all sizes work and all sizes matter," Drinkler says. "When three vaulters are doing a routine on a horse, the stronger ones—the base—have to hold the shorter ones—the flyers. They are equally important."

Lanfri started vaulting when she was eight. Her mother, Kim, took her to a riding class at Garrod Farm in Saratoga. But she was too young to take horseback riding classes, so Kim took her to the vaulting area, which accepts younger children.

"I like vaulting because I like gymnastics and I like horses," Lanfri says. "It's just fun to do."

After taking a few drop-in classes on the weekends, Lanfri was hooked on the sport.

First she joined the Trot Team, an entry-level category that opens to beginners of age seven and above. Now she is on the Canter Team, a more advanced category for skillful and experienced vaulters. The Canter Team is further organized into four subdivisions—novice, bronze, silver and gold divisions—according to a vaulter's abilities.

Vaulters can compete individually or as a team. In competitions, they are judged in two events—compulsory and free style. For the compulsory category, vaulters are required to perform a set of predetermined movements that are the same in every competition. The movements include standing and rolling on a horse as well as twisting legs in the air.

The freestyle event, also known as kür, allows for more creativity. Vaulters and their coaches choreograph their own routine for both the team kür and individual kür.

"I prefer compulsory style," Lanfri says. "It's easier. When you do free style, you have to try something more difficult."

For the free style, Lanfri has to not only choreograph a routine but also choose her own music.

"Every kür has a mood," Lanfri says. "I like to use music that has a happy mood or a dramatic mood."

She has used musical pieces from movie soundtracks such as those for Monsters, Inc. and Aladdin.

Lanfri practices three days a week year-round at Garrod Farms. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she trains for two hours with her team. On Saturdays, in addition to a two-hour team practice, she also practices individually for about 1 1/2 hours. When she doesn't practice at Garrod Farm, she practices on a bronze barrel in her backyard.

"Megan is very enthusiastic and motivated," Drinker says. "What makes working with her enjoyable is that she willingly comes to practice and willingly takes care of the horses."

Drinker says that Lanfri is a true athlete because she never gives up.

"Like every athlete, Megan has her ups and downs," Drinker says. "But she keeps working on it and overcomes it. At first, she had trouble standing on a horse. Now she is a good stander."

Besides the challenges of doing tricks on a moving horse, vaulting can be dangerous. Lanfri's tailbone was seriously injured in an accident that happened when she was just 10.

"It was a team kür practice and I was flying," Lanfri says. "My base pushed me a little bit too much over the horse's neck. My back hit the horse's neck, and I fell to the ground."

Lanfri still suffers from a backache as a result of the accident. But that didn't deter her from the sport she loves.

Each year, Lanfri participates in about six competitions—one national, one regional and several local competitions. These events have taken her to many different cities in California, including Petaluma, Santa Barbara and Thousand Oaks.

Last week, she competed along with 200 athletes and 50 horses in the USA Equestrian, Inc./AVA 2002 National Vaulting Championships in the Robertson Park Equestrian Center in Livermore. She placed 15th in the overall competition. Lanfri's team, the Mt. Eden Moon team, placed third in the overall competition.

She has won more than 40 award ribbons. But awards are just a small part of what she has gained from vaulting.

"I learned responsibility," Lanfri says. "After practicing, we have to feed the horses, groom them and clean the stalls. If it is a hot day, we have to wash them."

Lanfri has also developed self-confidence from vaulting.

"As you move up to a high level, your skills are improving," she says. "As your teammates are encouraging you, you are getting better and better. Vaulting is a positive sport."

She hopes to continue vaulting in the future.

"I want to be a professional vaulter, travelling around the world for competitions," she says. "If I can't vault, I'll do gymnastics. I have done gymnastics since I was six. It helps keep my flexibility."

Lanfri's parents are very supportive of her interest.

"I think vaulting is good for her," says Kevin, Lanfri's father. "As a flyer, she has to put a lot of trust on the people below her. And she has to get along with different people and horses. But the most important thing is that she enjoys it."