LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Since 2009, Las Vegas Horses4Heroes has been offering a summer camp that they say is affordable for parents who are first responders, a legacy they are proud of.
“My father was in World War 2; my husband is a Vietnam veteran,” said Sydney Knott, founder of Horses4Heroes. “Living in this community, we’re very patriotic, and we’re very supportive of our military families.”
She said the summer camp offers kids a feel for the “cowboy way” including time with animals, roping lessons, and a look at the care necessary to take care of horses, including riding and saddling. The camp isn’t limited to farm work, however, as a partnership has formed with a martial arts academy aimed at teaching young ones structure.
Every four years, Horses4Heroes is themed for the summer Olympics, and 2024 is no exception. Each camper is assigned a country and competes in archery, track and field, horsemanship, and fencing.
We’ve been doing this for 18 years, and what I love is that kids who came here as campers when they were four or five, six, and seven come back as high school students to get their community service hours,” Knott said.
Emily Ambrose is one of those people who has returned to the camp. She and her brother Jacob came to the camp at ages six and eight, respectively. Now, she’s 21 and the lead counselor at the camp.
“I was a very, very shy person, but this definitely brought me out of my shell and got me to experience to be more social,” Ambrose said.
Now, Horses4Heroes is looking for more high school and college-aged volunteers as it has received a grant allowing the camp to offer two free weeks for National Guard members, they say to let servicemembers know how much they’re appreciated.