METAMORA TWP. – Saturday’s gray skies and wet weather didn’t dampen folks’ spirits during the annual open house and horse show held at Banbury Cross Therapeutic Equestrian Center.
Smiles abounded as proud students rode around the indoor arena laughing, waving to loved ones and raising their arms in triumph.
“The horse show is a day to celebrate our riders and their accomplishments,” said Banbury Cross Executive Director Jessica Moore. “It gives our riders the opportunity to demonstrate the (equestrian) skills they’ve been working on all season long (in front of) their family, friends and anybody else who may be there to watch.”
A total of 68 riders participated in the show.
“This was definitely our biggest show yet,” Moore said. (In years past,) the max has been 50 for us, so this was a big jump to squeeze (that many riders) into one day.”
“It was a challenge to fit everybody in, but I think it went really smoothly,” she continued. “We were able to involve everybody who wanted to participate, which was great.”
Riders ranged in age from mid-50s all the way down to 3 years old.
“That’s the youngest in our program right now,” Moore said.
The horse show provides “a huge confidence boost” for many of Banbury’s riders.
“Most of our clients aren’t able to participate in other types of sports, so for them, this is their thing, this is when they really get to shine among their peers and their family members,” Moore said.
After riding around the arena and completing various tasks, each student was awarded a trophy, ribbon and certificate.

“It’s neat for them to be the center of attention for once and have that many people watching them,” Moore said.
Founded in 1991, Banbury Cross uses therapeutic horseback riding to help students with special needs and challenges grow physically, cognitively, emotionally, spiritually, educationally and socially.
The organization often works with special education students from the Oxford and Lapeer school districts.
Banbury Cross is fully-accredited by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International, a nonprofit organization that promotes equine-assisted activities and therapies for children and adults, including veterans, with special needs.
The horse show is a tremendous source of pride for both Moore and her staff.
“That event is really kind of the (epitome) of why we do what we do, day in and day out,” she said. “It’s rewarding . . . to see all of our hard work and efforts come to fruition and see those smiles on the riders’ faces.”
Approximately 90 riders per week took part in Banbury’s recent summer session, which encompassed July and August.
When the fall session begins the week after Labor Day, Moore said, “We’ll have over 100 (students) a week (through Thanksgiving).”
“We’ve had a jump in ridership in the last two years, which is great,” she noted. “We’ve got our highest rider numbers ever.”
For more information about Banbury Cross Therapeutic Equestrian Center, please visit banburycrosstec.org or call (248) 628-7433. The facility is located at 1223 Brauer Rd.