Pony rides a highlight of Aaronsburg Dutch Fall Fest

Chessie shook the hair out of her eyes and resumed her trot around the small enclosure. The smaller passenger on her back held on tight, clutching at the helmet sliding around her head.

No worry. While Alexis, the rider, held onto Chessie’s back, Chessie had hers.

“She’s been awesome,” said Helen Karp, Chessie’s owner. “I’ve been riding her since she was 3.”

Or the same age as Alexis, who exclaimed, “Yeah!” when asked if she liked riding Chessie. It was her first time on a horse.

Alexis, for her part, declined to comment further. While the walk — about six circuits — happened at a trot, her emotions were racing after riding the stocky and serene part-draft horse, who made nary a sound. The pitter-patter was from the light rain falling over Wert Memorial Park on Saturday afternoon.

On day one of the annual Dutch Fall Festival, umbrellas bloomed and most headed toward the smells of warm food and drink. Several cradled bowls of soup between their hands as they listened to live music and crowded under tents. At about 1 p.m., local musician Adam Yarger twanged a ditty while those gathered munched on apple dumplings, a festival favorite.

The youngest among the group didn’t care. They rode a merry-go-round, played on the park’s playground and made their way over to the biggest member of the crowd.

“We came back,” said one, gesturing toward a friend. “We want to ride again.”

Chessie obliged.

Phones took photos. Fears gave way to giggles and rides two, three, even four.

It felt good finally being the tallest one for a change.

“Yeah, very much so, there have been two or three kids that have come back,” Karp said, stroking Chessie’s giant head. “And then there are a couple of kids who are a little more shy and then they get on the horse and they’re like ‘whoa, this is where I want to be.’ ”

Karp, 17, started taking lessons when she was about 5 years old. Ever since she was little, her father Jeff said, she’s loved animals. “It’s been her thing,” he said.

The high school senior also grooms dogs. Even on a rainy day like Saturday, getting to share her interests with younger kids keeps her and her dad coming back. The Karps have been running the pony rides for three years.

“It’s really fun to see the kids’ reactions to the horses, and it’s really cool when you have a kid that is not so sure originally,” she said, “and then the third time around they’re like ‘all yeah, that’s it!’ ”

Chessie’s reaction to the day’s events was more sedate. That’s fine in Karp’s eyes. It’s what makes her good at her job.

“She’s just always been really calm and just happy to be here,” Karp said.

This story was originally published October 1, 2016 at 11:51 PM with the headline "Pony rides a highlight of Aaronsburg Dutch Fall Fest."