EhCapa Bareback Riders** is a **youth equestrian organization** founded in **1956** and celebrating its **70th anniversary** this year.
- The group performs synchronized horseback drills without saddles, with riders learning techniques such as squeezing with thighs and knees.
- Ava Riedlinger, age 16, credits training and trust with her horse Phoenix, saying horses reflect riders' emotions.
- The club’s tradition and community span ages 8 to 19, with many riders later returning as mentors; the current queen is JoJo Wills.
- EhCapa will celebrate Saturday, Aug. 1 at Birt Arena in Nampa with a reunion, including alumni events, dinner, a silent auction, and a performance; admission is $10.
EhCapa Bareback Riders is a youth equestrian organization in Nampa, Idaho that has long entertained rodeo crowds with synchronized bareback drills performed without saddles.
The club, named for “Apache” spelled backward as a tribute to Native Americans, was founded in 1956 and is marking its 70th anniversary this year.
Ava Riedlinger, who joined at age 10 and is now 16, describes how riders must squeeze with their thighs and knees, and how performance depends on partnership and trust, including the idea that horses reflect riders’ emotions. Instructor Brandi Krajnik, who joined at 11 and has been an instructor for 24 years, emphasizes repeated technical cues like “toes up, heels down” and notes the group functions as a family for riders ages 8 to 19.
The organization has traveled across North America, and riders may leave or return to mentor; this year’s queen is JoJo Wills, who credits the riders with helping her grow and describes the group as “one big happy family.”
John Wills says the organization built his daughter’s confidence.
The 70th anniversary celebration is on Saturday, Aug. 1 at Birt Arena in Nampa, featuring a reunion with alumni riders and former queens, dinner, a silent auction, and a performance celebrating the organization’s legacy; admission is $10.