Wilmington, Ohio – This week’s Wilmington Sunday Spotlight shines on Bethany and Rowan Bickel. Riding out of Carraway Hill, the mother-daughter duo has ridden alongside each other at WEC – Wilmington since the beginning of both their riding journeys. Recently, the Bickel’s welcomed their new mount, Rule in Favor, to his forever home and made their first horse show debut at Winter Classic 11. We caught up with the Bickel’s to learn more about their special riding journey!
WEC: How did you get started riding?
R: My first experience with horses was riding the ponies at the county fair. My mom came back one summer and signed me up for a horseback riding camp. I started in camp at Bookmark Farms and absolutely adored it. I loved everything about it. She signed me up for lessons there and I rode there from the time I was five. We had only ever ridden lesson or lease horses until we got the first horse we owned, Pappy, and it really taught us a lot about the sport. He really taught both of us how to ride.
B: I was the kid that wasn’t even allowed to have a dog growing up! There was no horseback riding for me. I started watching Rowan in her lessons and I wanted to try it. So, I was the 41-year-old on the lunge line learning. We leased a couple horses in the beginning and then we ended up finding ‘Pappy.’ They wanted him to go to a good home and didn’t want him to get passed around. We drove to Indiana with Colleen [Holton] and some other girlfriends, and we picked up Pappy! The first time I ever showed was on him. I fell in love with horses then and I just love the whole process now.
WEC: Tell us about Carraway Hill.
R: Through Bookmark, I had a couple of different trainers. My main trainer ended up taking a step back from coaching, so she connected us with Colleen [Holton]. We started riding with her and when she opened up her own barn, we followed her because we love her as a coach. Colleen has an amazing sense for the horses she rides, and she is so hands-on. When Pappy stepped down, we bought a horse named Amen Corner, also known as ‘Nemo’, and we never could have had him if it wasn’t for Colleen.
B: We hit the jackpot. Colleen did such a great job matching us with Judge. He packs around with me and then she gets on and he looks like a million bucks. She is so hands on and has such a gift in being able to teach us exactly what she feels when she rides.
WEC: Tell us about your new mount, Rule in Favor.
R: We went on this long process of finding our unicorn! We wanted something that would be able to do the Junior Hunters, but would also be happy doing a beginner job. There aren’t a lot of horses that fit that criteria! We found ‘Judge’ and drove to Michigan to try him. When we got there, Laura [Kessler] and everyone at his barn were so sweet and clearly loved him so much. He was the first one that I felt was so perfect for both of us and happy to do both jobs.
B: We knew that as Rowan was getting older and busier with college and work, we wanted to find something that we could both ride. I wanted something with a sweet personality because I want it to be ours forever! We had a lot of boxes to check, and ‘Judge’ checked every single box.
WEC: How has WEC been beneficial for you in developing your riding?
R: I did my first derby ever here at WEC. It is so nice to have the opportunity to jump classes like that and also have such great competition. Pretty much every show is A rated, so you can always get a lot of points here.
B: We are so lucky that we are in Ohio, so it is so convenient for us to get here. In the winter, this is the most beautiful indoor and it provides the Midwest such a nice opportunity for showing. I also love the paddocks for the outdoor shows. I am big about getting the horses outside every day so they can just be horses.
WEC: What is special about sharing the sport together?
R: It is so fun to have a parent that understands the in’s and out’s of the sport. My mom is there for me throughout the whole show day and has shared all the ups and downs with me. It is also so cool to watch her show too. I get so much more nervous when she goes in the ring versus when I do! I am so excited to watch her get back into showing with Judge.
B: We just get to spend so much time together. We understand each other. I feel like I share all the emotions of the good and bad parts of it together. You can’t get much closer than doing this sport together!
Thank you both for taking the time to speak with us! We can’t wait to watch your journey with Judge!