Westernaires

Westernaires This is the official page for Westernaires. Some members also elect to receive training in specialty acts such as bull whips, trick riding and dressage.

Founded in 1949, Westernaires is a volunteer-run nonprofit youth riding organization cultivating self-respect, teamwork, responsibility, and leadership through horsemanship and family participation. Westernaires is a mounted precision drill organization composed of Jefferson County, Colorado, youngsters from 9 to 19 years of age. Founded in 1949, Westernaires has provided training in western riding, precision drills, and horse care for over 65 years. In addition to learning about care of horses and honing their skill at precision mounted drill, Westernaires members develop important intangible qualities. These include the discipline that comes from training every week for years to achieve promotion to the top teams of the organization, the sense of teamwork from riding week after week with a group of riders trying to gel into a polished performance, the sense of personal responsibility from caring for horses, and community pride from gaining a personal appreciation for our western heritage. Perhaps the most important feature of the Westernaires today is that it provides a constructive alternative for today's suburban youngsters. At Westernaires, there are no drugs, no alcohol, no tobacco. There is a sense of community, of family which nurtures young people into responsible community leaders. It provides a place for parents and their children to work together in so many ways that seem unavailable elsewhere. This teamwork between generations is exemplified by the scores of parents and other adult volunteers who make it possible for our young people to ride; Westernaires' horse and facilities caretaker is its one and only one paid employee! The organization trains year round at Fort Westernaire, adjacent to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds near Golden, Colorado. It maintains three outdoor and three indoor arenas, as well as stables for the string of livery horses it owns and rents out to the members on an hourly basis. Fort Westernaire also houses classrooms, a club store, a museum, and caretakers' quarters. The group is non-profit, with members paying modest annual dues. Every fall the organization presents the Westernaires Annual Show, a set of fund-raising performances which involves all members, either as performers or helpers behind the scenes. This "Horsecapades" is also our Alumni Homecoming.

A heartfelt thank you to Jefferson County Colorado Government Public Affairs team for spending time with us at our Weste...
09/16/2026

A heartfelt thank you to Jefferson County Colorado Government Public Affairs team for spending time with us at our Western Heritage Day celebrations this summer -- and for creating this wonderful video highlighting Westernaires and the young people who make it so special.

Their team joined us at Fort Westernaire during our July Western Heritage Day shows, capturing some of the energy, horsemanship, and tradition that fill the arena. The finished piece features several of our Varsity Big Red Team riders, along with performers from throughout our four different Heritage Day shows.

We’re grateful to Jefferson County Public Affairs for helping share the Westernaires story with our broader community and for showcasing the dedication, teamwork, and horsemanship of our riders.

Thank you for joining us, and for creating such a lovely look at a day we always enjoy sharing with our community!

🎥 Watch the video here:
https://youtu.be/OowFurj2y_w

Westernaires is a non-profit youth horseback riding organization, f...

🤝 TEAMWORK ISN'T JUST SOMETHING WE TEACH. IT'S HOW WESTERNAIRES WORKS.➡ Riders. Parents. Alumni. Volunteers. Friends. Do...
09/15/2026

🤝 TEAMWORK ISN'T JUST SOMETHING WE TEACH. IT'S HOW WESTERNAIRES WORKS.

➡ Riders. Parents. Alumni. Volunteers. Friends. Donors.

For 77 years, generations of people have stepped forward and said, "I'll do my part."

Today, we're asking for your help.

This is the last day of Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day, and donations made before midnight have the opportunity to be matched dollar-for-dollar.

No gift is too small to be part of this team.

⏰ Please give today and help carry Westernaires forward.

https://www.westernaires.org/colorado-youth-sports-giving

IF YOU'VE BEEN MEANING TO GIVE, TUESDAY 9/15 IS YOUR DAY. 💥At midnight tonight, Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day comes t...
09/15/2026

IF YOU'VE BEEN MEANING TO GIVE, TUESDAY 9/15 IS YOUR DAY. 💥

At midnight tonight, Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day comes to an end -- along with this special opportunity for donations to Westernaires to potentially be matched dollar-for-dollar.

You don't have to make a huge gift to make a difference.

Give what you can. Give $10. Give $25. Give $100. When hundreds of people come together behind a mission they believe in, those gifts become something extraordinary.

One day. One last opportunity. Please help Westernaires finish strong! ❤🐴

https://www.westernaires.org/colorado-youth-sports-giving

TODAY IS THE DAY.Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day ends TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT — and with it, our opportunity to have your g...
09/15/2026

TODAY IS THE DAY.

Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day ends TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT — and with it, our opportunity to have your generosity to Westernaires matched dollar-for-dollar by generous foundations.

If you've been thinking about giving, please don't wait any longer.

$10 matters. $25 matters. $100 matters. Every gift matters.

For 77 years, Westernaires has used horsemanship to help young people develop self-respect, responsibility, teamwork and leadership. Your generosity helps us keep that opportunity accessible for the next generation.

Please give before midnight tonight.

DONATE: https://www.westernaires.org/colorado-youth-sports-giving

A big thank you to the Torrington Telegram Telegram for covering our Westernaires Varsity Big Red and Cavalry teams duri...
09/14/2026

A big thank you to the Torrington Telegram Telegram for covering our Westernaires Varsity Big Red and Cavalry teams during the Wild West EquiFest in Torrington, Wyoming.

We were grateful for the opportunity to perform, meet so many wonderful people, and support Operation Remount and its meaningful mission of bringing veterans and mustangs together to build trust, purpose, and partnership.

The weekend was also a special opportunity to showcase some of the incredible mustangs who are part of the Westernaires community. Mustangs from both our rental herd and Westernaires families made the trip with us: Sq**rt, Mocha, Banner, Stax, Cali, Moon, Tahoe, Rock, Rolo, Jasper, Simba, and Stunner.

These remarkable horses helped demonstrate just how versatile, intelligent, athletic, and capable mustangs can be, and we were incredibly proud to have them representing Westernaires in Wyoming.

Thank you to the Torrington Telegram, the Wild West EquiFest community, Operation Remount, and everyone who welcomed us so warmly. We loved being part of this very special weekend!

SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF WESTERNAIRES NEVER ENTER THE ARENA.The truck that pulls the horse van.The tires carr...
09/07/2026

SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF WESTERNAIRES NEVER ENTER THE ARENA.

The truck that pulls the horse van.
The tires carrying precious cargo.
The semi hauling tack and costumes.
The bus carrying our riders and volunteers.
The tools and parts that keep everything running safely.

This weekend, all of it helps Varsity Big Red and Cavalry teams make the journey to Torrington, Wyoming, for Wild West EquiFest and Operation Remount.

These aren't glamorous expenses. But they're essential ones.

There's ONE WEEK LEFT in Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day, when your gift to Westernaires has the opportunity to be matched dollar-for-dollar.

Please help us keep our horses, riders, and mission moving safely down the road. Could you give $10 today?

https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/Westernaires

BIG RED IS HITTING THE ROAD... AND WE NEED YOUR HELP KEEPING WESTERNAIRES MOVING! 🚛This weekend, our Varsity Big Red and...
09/07/2026

BIG RED IS HITTING THE ROAD... AND WE NEED YOUR HELP KEEPING WESTERNAIRES MOVING! 🚛

This weekend, our Varsity Big Red and Cavalry teams head to Torrington, Wyoming, to support the Wild West EquiFest Horse Expo and our friends at Operation Remount.

Getting there takes a lot more than horses and riders. It takes specialized horse vans. Semi trucks. Costume trailers. Buses. Tires. Fuel. Mechanical parts. Tools. Maintenance. And an incredible amount of volunteer know-how.

With one week remaining in Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day, your gift to Westernaires has the opportunity to be matched dollar-for-dollar by generous foundations.

Whether it's $10, $50 or $5,000, every gift helps keep Westernaires strong, safe and moving forward. Please give today, and help keep Westernaires on the road.

Donate to Westernaires via the Colorado Youth Sports Giving site: https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/Westernaires

Sometimes it takes a visitor with an extraordinary perspective to help us see something familiar with fresh eyes.We were...
09/07/2026

Sometimes it takes a visitor with an extraordinary perspective to help us see something familiar with fresh eyes.

We were unmeasurably pleased to welcome Dr. Temple Grandin to Fort Westernaire this weekend, where she spent an hour speaking with our riders, parents, and volunteers and sharing her remarkable insights about animals, learning, opportunity, and the importance of exposing young people to experiences that can shape their lives. Even after the program concluded, she generously stayed to answer additional questions one-on-one.

Again and again, Dr. Grandin spoke about the importance of “exposure,” reminding our riders how fortunate it is for them that they get an opportunity to be a part of Westernaires. Here, young people have an accessible opportunity to be around horses, learn horsemanship, develop responsibility and confidence, discover new interests, and gain experiences that simply are not available to the vast majority of children.

Perhaps nowhere was that more evident than when she watched some of our brand-new Tenderfeet take their very first Westernaires rides. She observed our instructors, Wranglers, riders, and rental horses working together in the arena, and repeatedly praised not only the organization, handling, and care of our horses, but also the training and behavior of our beloved Westernaires rental horses as they patiently worked with young and inexperienced riders taking some of their first steps in horsemanship.

Dr. Grandin's visit continued over lunch and through a tour of the Westernaires Museum of Western and Riding History. Before leaving, she graciously signed and dedicated one of her books for our Museum library, creating a lasting connection between her visit and generations of Westernaires members yet to come.

Dr. Grandin gave us far more than her time. She gave our young people encouragement and perspective, and reinforced something fundamental to the Westernaires mission: exposure creates possibility. Giving a young person access to an experience can spark an interest, build confidence, develop character, or open a door they did not yet know existed.

We could not be more grateful.

MATCHING DONATIONS IS LIVE NOW! Jump in now to double up on the impact.⏰ The clock is ticking, so don't let this one ge...
09/02/2026

MATCHING DONATIONS IS LIVE NOW! Jump in now to double up on the impact.

⏰ The clock is ticking, so don't let this one get away! From Sept 1–15, every dollar given to Westernaires through Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day has the chance of being MATCHED.

That means your $25 becomes $50. Your $100 becomes $200.

Matching funds may run out quickly — so give now to double your impact for 1,000 kids + 200 horses.

Donate here: https://www.westernaires.org/colorado-youth-sports-giving

Address

15200 W. 6th Avenue, Unit B
Golden, CO
80401

Telephone

(303) 279-3767

Website

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