Kabalyudung Riders

Horseback riding for a cause!! Check out the Kabadjo Handlers Association (operating in Camp John Hay) renting out their horses to raise funds for the Happy Hollow National High School 🤍 See the original post for more details

November was a quiet month for us. With Baguio being open to tourists once more, it looks like the pony boys finally have a chance to recover from the period of financial difficulty brought on by the pandemic. As a small year-ender Kabalyudung Riders Sol and Bon took to the streets at night and did their own version of the event, where participants are encouraged to walk, run, or bike to local art landmarks. While it was a fun ride, it was also a ride that forced us to reflect on where the pony boy industry of Baguio has gone in the past decade. The ride had to be done at night because these murals are located in high-traffic areas that would be unsafe for the horses during the day. The rapid urbanisation of Baguio City has all but pushed its iconic pony boys and horses to the edges. Access to trails and green spaces has been severely restricted, and the pony boys left with no choice but to ply their trade along busy roads. During festivals like the Panagbenga, the Pony Boys’ Day celebration has been pushed to the end of the line up of events as if they were a mere afterthought, cutting them off from showcasing their culture and skills to a wider audience. Seeing this pattern unfold over the past years has convinced us that in order for the horses of Baguio to thrive, the culture of the pony boys must also thrive and continue onwards. Right now, the best way to offer support to the industry is by renting a horse and riding. But aside from that, it is also important to listen to the stories of these incredibly hardworking people and their equine companions, and to give them space and time to practice their own unique art beyond the hour or two that a customer might spend in the saddle.

Surprise surprise!!! Our 2nd place costume by Yasha and Ezrah Ananayo with Sky made it to today’s front page of the Manila Standard 🎃✨🐎🔥 thank you to Dave Leprozo for making this possible ✨ BY THE WAY if you’re in Baguio do drop by Kabadjo Handlers Association at Camp John Hay and say hello to Sky and Phantom at their day jobs! Support these amazing horses and their handlers by experiencing the joy of riding first hand ✨🐎🧡

And we have winners!!! 🎃🎃🎃 Horses and riders from the Kabadjo Horse Handlers Association swooped in with their entries mere hours before our final deadline. And my what a show they’ve put on for us! Congratulations to the artists, horses, riders/models, and to the owners of Phantom and Sky for such an incredible set of costumes 🎃✨🐎❤️ And of course a great big thank you to our wonderful judges for making this event possible ✨ We hope to see more like this the next time Halloween rolls around! 🎃🎃🎃 Ride on!

1st place: Mel Damian & Phantom “Even Death will have to feed his horse ☠️

2nd place: Yasha Mae Ananayo & Sky “Calavera”

3rd place: John Michael & Sky “White death”

Our judges are currently scoring the entries for our costume contest 🐴🦄✨ Check them out, leave a like, and let us know what you think! Stay tuned, we'll be announcing the winners soon!

I put a spell on you #kabalyudunghalloweenparty