What is UP With Brianna Zimmerman?

What Is UP With This Kid? Each Monday we’ll be running a profile.  About kids. And what they’ve done. Or do. Or are about to do. Because when a kid puts her mind to it, she can do some pretty interesting things.

Brianna Zimmerman, age 14: Equestrian and 4H Club President

“The good parts of me become more prominent. The bad parts get pushed to the background. There’s something about riding that brings out the best in everyone.”

Brianna Zimmerman has been riding horses since she was in third grade, but started taking it more seriously two years ago when she started riding at Oxbow Stables in Hamburg, NJ. “When I started, I was at Garret Mountain Equestrian Center. My parents were trying to find a sport for me to be involved in but I didn’t like any team sports. I tried horseback riding and I was in love.” Her move to Oxbow involved a bigger commitment overall. She went from riding once a month to once a week.  And now, as part of the stable’s Saturday Program, Brianna is up there all day every Saturday not only riding but grooming, mucking stalls, cleaning tack (bridles and saddles) and mentoring the younger riders. 

There are about 10 girls of varying ages that carpool the hour-long drive to Oxbow from Montclair every weekend. “We’ve all become very close,” says Brianna. “Even the younger kids—the 6- and 7-year-olds. They’re like little sisters. We love hanging out with them.”

In addition to riding, Brianna has taken on a leadership role in the Raiders 4-H Club that meets at Oxbow twice a month. “The group puts together food baskets and does charity work. We also organize fun event for club members.” One such event was this year’s Halloween Party. “We dressed up the horses in costume and had a parade. Also we created a ‘spook trail,’ which was basically a woods walk where parents could jump out at you and scare you to death. It was their way of getting back at us if we were annoying during the year.” In her first term as President, Brianna also organized their first Barn Sleepover to coincide with the Halloween festivities.

The quid-pro-quo doesn’t end with scary parents. “I’ve learned a lot about what it means to be responsible,” she says. “The better my grades are, the more horse time I get.” There’s also been talk of leasing a horse for her in the near future, although right now Brianna mostly rides the stable-owned horses. “There’s a horse I love up there—Kye. Most people don’t like to ride him. He kicks and nips. And he’s lazy. But people say I ride him really well. He knows me and knows what I want from him.”

Brianna’s description of what draws her to the stable is varied, but profound. “I love being in the type of partnership that’s created when you ride a horse. You both understand each other’s signals without [verbally] communicating. At the barn, the things that usually define people—popularity, or how they look—fall away and we’re just one big community there.”

Brianna’s FIVE FAVES:

Pizza: Sicilian from Nauna’s

Burger: NJ Special from Smashburger

Ice Cream: Mint Chocolate Chip from Applegates

Book: “The Horse and His Boy” by C.S. Lewis

Teacher: Ms. Kuwabara (2nd grade teacher at Bullock)

If you know a kid who is doing something fascinating and extraordinary, or quirky and unusual, please let us know. We’re trying to find out: What’s UP with these kids. Email: Shelley@Patch.com.