Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
U.S. HOBBY HORSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
U.S. HOBBY HORSE CHAMPIONSHIPS. The first U.S. Hobby Horse Championships were held in August, 2024 in Almont, Michigan. The sport involved the same skills and tricks typically done in horseback riding, only on a toy horse, consisting of an intricately designed plush head and a stick where a real horse would have a neck.
Riding her horse "Cara", Gwen Maiers finished the course with nearly perfect technique expertly switching hands following each jump. Gwen won a first-place ribbon in each of two categories while competing against forty-seven others.
Gwen's victory, as a sophomore at STEPHEN HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL, resulted in being interviewed by reporters from the Washington Post, Inside Edition, and The Times of London. She began riding horses about the time she was in first grade and then began creating a collection of professionally-crafted hobby horses. Through the competition, she found a community of hobby horse riders from such cities as Chicago and Milwaukee.
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Source:
Sago, Anna, "Dubuque Teen Wins Titles at Inaugural U.S. Hobby Horse Championships," Telegraph Herald, August 17, 2024, p. 2A