Philly Dawg

Teen saddles up for daily ride to school

As a horse-crazy girl I used to dream about joining the characters in the British story books I voraciously consumed. The kids in the English countryside saddled up their ponies every weekend and hacked over the foggy moors to the local horse shows. In car-congested Washington D.C. I thought that was the idyllic childhood.

4 comments

Teen saddles up for daily ride to school

POSTED: Thursday, September 16, 2010, 10:57 AM

Amy Worden, Inquirer Staff Writer

As a horse-crazy girl I used to dream about joining the characters in the British story books I voraciously consumed. The kids in the English countryside all saddled up their ponies every weekend and hacked over the foggy moors to the local horse shows. What a life! In car-congested Washington D.C., I thought that was the idyllic childhood.

Now I learn that a teenager living in the congested suburbs outside Philadelphia is saddling up his oversized "pony" every day and commuting to school on horseback.

Gladwyne teen Roby Burch and his trusty Percheron gelding, Jet, brave traffic, bad weather and even ford streams to get to school each morning. More from my colleague, Kathy Boccella, here.

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Comments (4)

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:53 PM, 09/16/2010

where is her horse all day - in a school barn? tried bringing my kindergarden's to school in a pony cart many years ago and the teacher went nuts!! was less than a mile from our home, and we live in a fairly rural area!!

— dorothyhe

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:48 PM, 09/16/2010

What a fabulous story! Dorothy, read the entire article found at the link in the last sentence and see the picture slide-show. The family built a beautiful paddock on the school grounds. Gotta love those bluebloods! And Tuffie, why don't you pack up your misery and move to Cuba where you'll blend in with wall-to-wall socialists. I'm sure you'll be very happy there.

— Macy

Comment removed.

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About this blog

Amy Worden is a politics and government reporter for the Inquirer. In that capacity she has explored a range of animal issues from dog kennel law improvements and horse slaughter to the comeback of peregrine falcons and pigeon hunts. From hamsters to horses, animals have always been part of her life. To pass along a tip or contact Amy, click here. Reach Amy at aworden@phillynews.com.