Live the Paniolo Life!
- Craig Jaques
- May 28
- 4 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
KRWC Paniolo Summer Camp 2026 - Ages 5 to 18
There is a moment, somewhere in the middle of the first week, when something shifts. A five-year-old who walked into ʻIʻole Riding Rink on Monday morning a little quiet is suddenly leading a horse across the arena like she has done it her whole life. A sixteen-year-old who has been riding for years finally cleans up a turn that has been giving her trouble for months. Both of them carry something home that evening that they did not arrive with that morning.
That is what this camp is. That is what we are inviting your rider into — whatever their starting point.
Sign up → https://forms.gle/irMvGdgEcG6FRJf88
From June 29 through July 17, 2026, the Kohala Ride Wild Club opens the gates of ʻIʻole Riding Rink for three weeks of horsemanship, riding lessons, horse care, tacking, and everything that goes with living the paniolo life.
Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., ages 5 to 18, every level welcome — the kid who has never been near a horse, the rider who has been around them since before they could walk, and every level in between.
What your rider will actually be doing
Every camper grooms, tacks, mounts, and rides — every single day. This is not a once-a-week pony ride dressed up as a camp. It is a program built around horses, taught by people who have spent their lives in these pastures, and structured so that the youngest first-timer ends the three weeks with a foundation they can build on for years — and the experienced older rider ends them sharper, stronger, and further along than they would have gotten on their own.
Horsemanship — for younger riders, learning to read a horse and move with confidence around one; for older riders, deeper work on body language, communication, and the kind of feel that only comes from time in the saddle
Riding Lessons — scaled to each rider, from absolute beginner to advanced young paniolo working on refined patterns, position, and skills that carry over to competition
Tacking — saddling up, bridling, and turning a horse out the right way, every time
And so much more — arena etiquette, paniolo heritage, teamwork across the age range, and the slow, building pride of figuring it out together
Groups stay small. Riders are matched with horses suited to their level. Older campers often work alongside younger ones in ways that build leadership for the teens and confidence for the little ones — the kind of cross-age mentorship that almost never happens in a regular school year.
Why this matters at every age
Three weeks at ʻIʻole asks something of a rider — whether they are six or sixteen — that not much else in their life does. Patience. Presence. Attention to an animal who cannot tell them in words what it needs. They make friends with the riders next to them. They build a relationship with one specific horse. They figure out what they are capable of in ways that surprise them, and in ways that surprise their parents, too.
For younger riders, this is often where the love affair with horses begins. For teen riders, this is where it deepens — where the basics start to feel like real fluency, where the path toward rodeo or continued riding starts to take shape, and where the older campers find themselves growing into the kind of young adults that parents hope camp will produce.
The shy rider, the bold rider, the one who had never sat a horse, and the one who already had ribbons on the wall at home — all of them leave these three weeks with something they did not have when they arrived. That is the part that is hard to put on a flyer, and the part that matters most.
Why this matters in Kohala
Paniolo culture is older than the legend of the American cowboy. It began in the 1830s when Mexican vaqueros came to the islands at the invitation of King Kamehameha III, and it has been carried forward here in Kohala for nearly two centuries — through Parker Ranch, through generations of paniolo families, and into the arenas where our keiki are riding today. Put a child inside that heritage, even for three weeks of summer, is to give them a sense of place and belonging that cannot be bought and cannot be replicated anywhere else.
That is what we mean by Live the Paniolo Life. Not as a slogan, but as a way of moving through three weeks of summer with horses, with mentors, and with a community that has been doing this for a very long time.
Camp Details:
Dates | Three Sessions: Session 1: June 29 - July 3 Session 2: July 6 - July 10 Session 3: July 13 - July 17 |
Hours | 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. |
Days | Monday through Friday |
Cost | Each session is $250/week For families interested in all three weeks, there's a discounted rate of $600 (save $150) |
Ages | 5 to 18 — all skill levels welcome |
Location | ʻIʻole Riding Rink, Kohala |
How to sign your rider up
Spots are limited and they fill quickly. Families return year over year, and word travels fast, so don't wait too long!
Sign up → https://forms.gle/irMvGdgEcG6FRJf88
Contact:
Lachelle Crabbe: Kalistac5@gmail.com
📷 Follow along: @krwc_kohalarodeoteam and @vanzandts
Three weeks. A horse to learn from. New friends, sharper skills, and a heritage that has been waiting for them.
Come live the paniolo life with us this summer.
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