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Valley View Vaulters was started twenty years ago, in 1980, with a team of seven (7) vaulters (handicapped and non-handicapped), a practice barrel, one horse and a belief that everyone working and learning together can not only achieve success more quickly, but feel good about each other's accomplishments. Since then, our program has been expanding at a fast rate each year, with one-third of the vaulters being handicapped. We now have two locations, Lake View Terrace and Long Beach, and seven (7) horses.

We are unique in that we are currently the only mainstream, competitive vaulting team that has both handicapped and non-handicapped vaulters competing in non-handicapped classes. We feel that by involving the handicapped and non-handicapped together everyone benefits. All our students work with each other, guided by the coach andHorse.jpg - 1982 Bytes assistants. Vaulting becomes fun and good exercise with no barriers of age, gender, beliefs or abiltities; therefore building strength, better health and self-esteem. Our vaulters range,in age, from two(2) years through adults and in abilities from beginners to Gold Medalist (the highest national level attainable). At this time, Valley View is the largest vaulting group in the nation.

Our program prides itself on being the first mainstreamed vaulting team to a have competed successfully at the American Vaulting Association's National Championships. Throughout the years our team has earned first through fifth places in the nation with both handicapped and non-handicapped vaulters on our 8-man team. Additionally, our vaulters have earned first through tenth places (nationally), as individuals, in their division at the Nationals and have won the Individual National Championship in Trot, Copper, Bronze and Silver Divisions.


Virginia and Rick Hawthorne, Founders and Operators
of Valley View Vaulters