Writers Tricks of the Trade Volume 5, Issue 5 | Page 16

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LIFE STORIES (CONT’D)
Bronze medalist, the third highest rank in the sport. At Cal Poly other vaulters felt
sort of sorry for him until he began to beat them.
At this point, you are probably asking what all of this has to do with miracles. Well,
for nearly forty years various forms of equestrian contact have proven to be valuable
in therapeutic programs for the handicapped. But, in 1978, when Rick successfully
put handicapped and non-handicapped students together for the first time as a
competitive team, everything changed.
Virginia Manges, a graphics artist and art teacher, became involved in the sport in
1979 when her two healthy daughters began vaulting. One became a Silver Medalist
and the other a Gold Medalist. Virginia wanted an active level of participation in this
sport her daughters loved, so she trained and became an accomplished longeur.
While her girls were vaulting, she worked with all the handicapped and nonhandicapped vaulting students and their coach, young Rick Hawthorne.
Virginia’s eyes light up when she says he was amazing and inspiring to watch. In spite
of having only one arm, his face reflected that “I can” spirit as Rick worked with even
the largest of the horses placing excessive demands upon his body. He performed all
of the standard positions (compulsories) and freestyle routines (kurs) with a style
and precision that would even be difficult for a vaulter with both arms. When he was
judged in competition there were no special considerations for his handicap. All of
the standard rules applied.
A deep personal and professional friendship grew between Rick and Virginia. Their
great love of children and people in general touched the heart and soul of anyone
having the good fortune to come in contact with them. Virginia says she knew
something special was happening.
Suddenly in 1980, the vaulting program they worked with decided they would no
longer include non-disabled students. It would go back to being strictly therapeutic.
Nine of their vaulters begged for the mixed ability team to continue, so Rick and
Virginia took the plunge and formed Valley View Vaulters as business partners with a
team of handicapped and non-handicapped children and teens.
They didn’t have any money, just their faith that they could do it. They couldn’t
afford a horse and even if they had a horse, they wouldn’t be able to pay for
boarding. They had faith that the day would come when they could afford a horse,
but the best they could do right then was to set up a training barrel in Virginia’s back
yard. Other vaulting teams who knew and respected what they were doing lent
them horses for competitions.
Time passed and the miracles began. Rick and Virginia’s dream became reality.
As they worked with this unique team, children with cerebral palsy rose from
wheelchairs and walked, autistic kids connected and communicated, and those who
were hyperactive or had Acute Attention Deficit Disorder calmed down and were
handicap imaginable to this therapy that offered hope for improvement. From
SEPT - OCTOBER 2015

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WRITERS’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE