JustWorld International Inspires Pahokee Elementary Students with the Magic of Horse-Human Partnership
TORI REPOLE PHOTO
Junior, amateur, and Olympic riders representing JustWorld International captivated students at Pahokee Elementary on March 10 by sharing their love of horses and the horse-human partnership.
Rodriguez Equestrian, StoryBook Treasures, and JustWorld International collaborated on the event at the Title 1 school in Pahokee, Florida, an area where only a third of students are proficient in reading and the poverty rate is nearly three times the national average.
The students enthusiastically greeted Maria Newman’s Matrix, a gentle gray gelding. Denise Corbo, a former teacher who started StoryBook Treasures in 2014, noted the behavior of the youngest children as they watched Juan Andres Rodriguez, an Olympic rider representing Guatemala, put Matrix through his paces.
“With children that young, normally it’s hard to keep their attention,” Corbo said. “When we first had the group with kindergarten and pre-k kids, the youngest ones, there wasn’t a sound from them because they were completely captivated by the horse. Many of them had never seen one in person before. For me, partnering with JustWorld makes this experience even more meaningful because we’re truly making a difference. This visit could ignite an interest in these children, and one day, they might become riders themselves or pursue a future in the equestrian world.”
TORI REPOLE PHOTO Olympic rider Juan Andres Rodriguez greets children and shows them how to approach Matrix.
One of the Pahokee teachers, seeing the engagement from the students, asked how they could get the children more involved with horses.
“I think we’re planting seeds for their future,” Corbo said, noting that although Wellington is only 40 minutes from Pahokee, the children and community don’t know they can be part of the equestrian community. “We’re making a bridge and connecting the two, which is going to be our long-term impact. We have extended the passion for horses and the equestrian world to them. Who knows, maybe we’re going to find riders in the future from [this area]–that’s the hope, that kids see that as an opportunity, and that could change a child’s life.”
TORI REPOLE PHOTO Denise Corbo of StoryBook Treasures
Pahokee teachers and staff first saw Matrix on social media last year, when he visited Pioneer Park in Belle Glade on another collaboration between Rodriguez Equestrian, StoryBook Treasures, and JustWorld International.
“The excitement was through the roof because they knew what was coming,” Corbo said. “When Matrix was there, it was just excitement everywhere.”
While Rodriguez rode, JustWorld Ambassador and top U25 show jumping competitor Corinne Sweeney explained to the students how a rider uses his legs and hands to guide the horse and communicate. The children asked questions such as how old Matrix was, where his parents lived, how Rodriguez made him “go backwards” and whether he was a boy.
TORI REPOLE PHOTO Corinne Sweeney answers questions about horses from Pahokee students.
For JWI Ambassador Sofia Popescu, a team gold-medalist in the pre-junior jumping at the 2024 FEI North American Youth Championships, the best part of the experience was bringing the world she loves to those who have never experienced it.
“It’s been amazing, so fun meeting all the kids and letting them meet the horses and get [to experience] a part of our world,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed it. My favorite part was asking them some questions about themselves, learning how they feel about horses and how this experience can change that for them.”
Valeska Furlong, a JWI Ambassador, competitor, and student at Foxcroft School in Virginia, had a similar reaction. “It’s a really humbling experience for me to come here and be with kids who have never been part of my world,” she said. “It’s eye-opening that these kids can see what goes on and that Wellington is just 40 minutes away. It’s great for them to get the exposure of seeing horses and meeting them and learning about the basics.”
Popescu, who was attending her first project visit with JustWorld, loved seeing how excited the kids were. “Their eyes light up, and they seem to want to learn about these animals that are so amazing,” she said.
TORI REPOLE PHOTO JWI Ambassador Ella Ofarrell reads to Pahokee students and shares her knowledge of horses.
Officer Chantres-Allen Smith, with the school police, watched students interact with Matrix and noted that he seemed to intuit which children would most benefit from his presence. “It was amazing just to see the interaction with him and certain students,” she said. “He seemed to be very sensitive toward students that need more one-on-one attention; he allowed them to pet him more.”
Smith said she loves animals but doesn’t have the opportunity to interact with them often. “I’ve seen a lot on TV documentaries,” she said. “It’s amazing to interact with [Matrix] and touch him and see how sensitive he is. They may appear to be dominating and scary, but he was a big, friendly, cuddly guy.”
After watching Matrix and Rodriguez, students returned to the classroom, where JWI Ambassadors read the book “Ponies and Horses” aloud to first graders and presented them with an additional StoryBook Treasures package, featuring toy horses and riders.
Corbo believes that hands-on exposure, offered by passionate fans of the horse, combined with a book about horses, makes for a powerful combination. “We’ve sparked that interest in them because they’ve seen a real horse, and they have a book about horses,” she said. “That can inspire a child’s interest in learning more about horses and maybe becoming riders in the future; it’s just inspiring for them.”
TORI REPOLE PHOTO Juan Andres Rodriguez, aboard Matrix, holds the attention of Pahokee Elementary students as he describes how a horse and rider work together.
JWI Board member Mike Lawrence of Canada is an equine dental practitioner, manager of the Ottawa International CSI5*, past President of the International Association of Equine Dentistry, and has been involved with JustWorld since its founding. In addition to witnessing the project visit’s effect on the Pahokee children, he enjoys watching new JWI ambassadors experience the joy of giving back to others.
“It was great to see the young ambassadors meeting and interacting with the children who are being helped by their contributions,” Lawrence said. "It was nice to see them sitting and reading with the children and answering their questions about horses. I think that is what JustWorld is all about, allowing young ambassadors to learn about the benefits of their philanthropy and helping others who are less fortunate.”
TORI REPOLE PHOTO The JustWorld International-Rodriguez Equestrian-StoryBook Treasures team.
