Indoor horse ring pops up in Emo

A new building that has appeared just east of Emo has drawn a lot of speculation from passing motorists and nearby residents.
The Wieringas’ new indoor horse ring is one of the biggest building projects in the area at 60’ x 140’.
“Someone said ‘that’s a really big garage,’” laughed Colleen Wieringa, owner of the new shed.
While a number of people have hazarded guesses, from a massive hay barn to a tractor shed, the near-completed building is the fruition of a plan the Wieringa family has toyed with for quite a while.
“We have been looking to do this for years,” said Colleen Wieringa’s husband, Gerald, who also is a private contractor.
The posts for the building were put into the ground in November and recently Wieringa has had his construction crew working on the shed. Over 10 days, they’ve come close to finishing the building.
The Wieringas have been breeding and selling quarter-horses and entering horse shows for years. And while they have many ideas for their horse corral, they’re uncertain which plans will materialize.
“I’m sure it’ll work, it’s just a question of where we’ll go with it,” he noted. “Right now, it’s basically for personal use.”
The first event the Wieringas will host in their shed will be a horse show clinic featuring well-known coach and trainer Peter Frost from Minnesota.
“He’s taken people to the world level–like the Super Bowl of quarter-horses,” Wieringa said.
The clinic will take place on May 6-7, and will include a number of categories, including showmanship, horsemanship, trail, equitation, and hunter under saddle.
For $50, participants can attend both days of the clinic with their own horse. Spectators can attend for $10. The clinic will include a $10 barbecue on the Saturday night.
Anyone with questions can call Colleen Wieringa at 482-2730.
The building primarily will be used for the Wieringas’ private training and riding during the winter, when it’s raining, at night, and even during the bug season.
“During the summer, you’re fighting with the horse flies during the day and the mosquitos at night,” he noted.
Their daughter, Alana, also may teach riding lessons in the building.
“It’ll be nice for young kids who want to learn because it’s contained so it’s safe,” said Colleen Wieringa.
Their son, Richard, has suggested the horse ring be used for a moto-cross course.