PEORIA MAGAZINE June 2023

S P O T L I G H T

GALLOPING THROUGH THE HEART OF PEORIA

BY SARAH RASHID PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

Riders warm up before a riding competition at the Heart of Illinois Horse Arena

THE HEART OF ILLINOIS ARENA The Heart of Illinois Arena has hosted crooning cowboy Roy Rogers, rock band Led Zeppelin, and even gangster Al Capone. Before Patricia and Ernest Frietsch took over in 1988, the arena served as a wartime airplane hangar and a dance barn, known as Baty’s Barn. Today, it’s home to almost 200 horses, with 150 stalls under one roof, just north of Detweiller Park on the west side of Illinois Route 29. Over the Frietsches’ 30 years of ownership, the arena has hosted more than 1,000 shows. “We put on horse shows and horse events by every horse breed in the state of Illinois,” said Patricia Frietch. “We are booked every weekend. “The Heart of Illinois Arena is some thing we created. We like the people and we have friends all over the state. People come from all over.” In May, for example, the facility hosted visitors from Minne sota, Michigan, Indiana and Missouri.

“I will say just being around horses brings you a sense of serenity,” said Julie Catton, barn manager at Pringle Stables. “It’s just therapeutic.” Meanwhile, horses can provide a confidence boost. After all, there’s no guarantee of success after climbing into the saddle. “Be brave enough to try something that might take you out of your comfort zone,” said Catton. “You never know what you're going to learn about yourself from that.” Indeed, “horses are sort of like a dog, but they're bigger and they have more of a mind of their own,” said Walker. “You can't just push them. You have to work together as a team with them.” Then there’s the sense of escape and accomplishment that comes from engaging with an animal that weighs 1,200 pounds, said Walker. “The freedom is really it for me,” she said. “It’s a freeing experience to get on a horse … or become one with that horse.” Here’s a look at three area horse riding operations:

H orses have a lot to offer their human caretakers, from health benefits to reduced stress to the development of greater self-confidence and empathy, say riding instructors across central Illinois. There are few opportunities to get closer to nature than through horseback riding, said Jenna Walker, program director and instructor at Central Illinois Riding Therapy (CIRT). 11-year old Aubri Ford gives her horse a hug at the Heart of Illinois Horse Arena during a show

94 JUNE 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE