Out in Honea Path, Ashley Lawter turns horseback trick riding on its head
As horse and rider come around the bend of a sanded arena, Ashley Lawter commands, “Get after him!” to Caitlyn Kelly, a student who quickly responds by picking up the paint horse’s pace. “There you go,” Lawter praises, as Magua eases from a trot into a canter. Then, suddenly, more instruction: “Now upside down! Smile!”
Within a half second, Kelly hangs upside down—one foot in the air—on the left side of Magua, one of two paint horses gifted to Lawter in 2014. When Lawter commands, “Now get out,” to her student, Kelly gracefully flips upright and back into her saddle, completing a lap before Magua comes to a quick halt.
The scene of an instructor in the middle of a riding arena, commanding students with phrases like “Pick up” or “Shoulders back” is familiar to anyone who has taken horseback riding lessons. Quick commands and responses are the name of the game, but instructing students to go upside down or jump off and back on a cantering horse? Not so much.
She’s the only trainer of her kind on the East Coast, and students trailer horses from across the nation—even Canada—to train with her. She grew up riding English, Western, and competitive trail riding in Pennsylvania, and at 15, she spent a summer training to ride dressage on Tennessee Walking Horses, before landing an internship in Illinois that introduced her to the world of trick riding. Now, the thirty-year-old equestrian is in Honea Path, training the next generation of trick riders.
“I had my chance in the spotlight,” reflects Lawter, who rode for six years in the Circus Arts Conservatory. “I did the best shows in the nation. Now I want to see my kids take the role.” While some students are from Honea Path or Greenville, many travel to work with Lawter at Lawter’s Equestrian Center, where lessons include everything from beginning English and Western to trick and Roman riding.
Along with the riding lessons, Lawter trains the Carolina Daredevils, a team of performing trick riders. Those who make the cut, like Kelly, get to be one of five who perform at shows. Students perform tricks like layouts, where riders hang parallel to the ground with both arms in the air, or shoulder stands on the back of a horse. It’s an impressive feat of athleticism that requires strength, balance, focus, and attunement with horses, who often have their own bag of tricks.
To develop her students’ skills, Lawter carefully crafts a curriculum designed to help them meet goals and progress safely as riders. After years of training and performing, seeing her students reach their goals is now Lawter’s favorite part of her career. It’s an incredibly unique gift she passes to her students, as renowned trainers once passed to her.
Tricks of the Trade
Not quite English and not quite Western, trick riding has its own saddle and gear. While the saddle looks Western, its unique design features special straps and filling designed to distribute the rider’s weight. Riders also don’t wear helmets or boots: Helmets throw off a trick rider’s center of gravity and make riding more dangerous, while wrestling shoes are light, have better grip, and support a trick rider’s ankles.
Upcoming Trick Riding Performances
The Carolina Daredevils have several performances planned this season. Catch them trick riding at the following shows:
June 24 & August 19: Pickens Rodeo
325 E. Jones Ave.
Pickens, SC
September 22: Foothills Heritage Fair
2063 Sandifer Blvd.
Seneca, SC
Get in the Saddle
This summer, Lawter’s Equestrian Center is hosting three- to four-day riding clinics. General riding clinics will be held from June 19–22 and July 31–August 3. Trick and Roman riding clinics are from June 26–28 or July 17–19. Lawter is also accepting students.
For more information, contact Ashley Lawter at lawtereqcenter@gmail.com or go to legc.net.
Lawter’s Equestrian Center, 226 Mountain Creek Rd., Honea Path, 864.323.4919, leqc.net
