Stoneleigh-Burnham School (SBS) and the Greenfield Public Schools have begun a partnership in equestrian studies that gives Greenfield middle school students an incredible opportunity to learn about horses and riding from seasoned SBS equestrian faculty and staff and talented student riders.
The partnership was developed by SBS Equestrian Director George Halkett and Greenfield Middle School (GMS) Associate Principal Angela Ruggeri with the encouragement of Greenfield School Superintendent Jordana Harper.
Under the partnership, 21 sixth-grade girls and boys from Greenfield Middle School visit the SBS equestrian center on Stoneleigh-Burnham’s campus each school day for an hour and a half and work with at least one SBS student rider, along with Halkett and other equestrian staff.
Ruggeri and Halkett explained that SBS has offered this opportunity to GMS at a greatly reduced rate. The program is funded in large part by an Expanded Learning Time grant for student enrichment awarded to GMS.
Halkett said GMS students will earn certificates in Horse Knowledge and Riding at the end of the school year. SBS student and rider Linda Limeri ’16 works with the middle school students each day.
Limeri is earning practical training hours toward her British Horse Society (BHS) Certification. SBS is the first and only U.S. secondary school to teach the BHS and with an equestrian center that has been certified as a BHS-approved facility. Long recognized internationally for setting the highest standards for riding instruction, stable management, and horse training, the system set forth by the BHS complements Stoneleigh-Burnham’s dedication to providing students who aspire to careers in horsemanship with a firm academic footing at the high school level.
For more information on equestrian offerings at SBS, click here.