For Tennessee High’s newly established competitive hobby horse riders, the freedom of galloping on a wooden steed is like no other. Kempt hair turns windswept as shoes periodically squeak against the polyurethane gym floor, and atmospheric neighing sounds make their way out of a small speaker and into the riding ring.

“It’s an investment, we realized. One that we’re kind of willing to make,” Athletic Director Blaine Brown said. “So, last year, we went around and slipped some flyers for the team into any open bag we saw. We felt like it needed to be kept under wraps a little bit, because we knew that eventually, if we waited long enough, students would feel the team [and their horses] calling them.”

For the past year, the team has been training in secret, day in and day out, alongside retired football coach Daryl Shanks, who takes great pride in the first-time riders.

“When I stepped down from coaching football, I just had so much free time. I needed something to fill that void, I guess. That’s when I made the decision to redirect my life’s purpose and coach hobby horsing,” Shanks said.

They plan to attend their first competition on April 4th, but, due to the majority of hobby horsing events being held in Finland, the team will compete via Zoom call. Coach Shanks advises students to steer clear of the gym on Friday, the 3rd, as preparation for the competition will require his utmost attention.

“It can be stressful, really. We still have to groom the horses, get the floor ready, etc,” Shanks said. “And on top of that, one of my riders said that they want their horse’s tail braided. I said, ‘No, Buttercup can’t get his tail braided because one, that is a school-owned horse and we don’t have the funding for that, and two, what tail?!’”

Even as the pressure increases, the team continues to strive for their best, fueled by pure motivation and the 2002 animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

“I told them if we win, we can get custom merch. Everyone had their own ideas for it, of course, so I just kind of let them duke it out,” Shanks said. “I think hoodies that say ‘we ride at dawn’ are winning, though ‘Leeroy Jenkins!’ is at a close second.”