MEET OUR TEAM
Mary Paige Kowalski
Equestrian Director
As a Certified Instructor with Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA), Mary Paige’s first and foremost concern is teaching equestrian skills in the safest environment possible. Majoring in Equine Business at Clemson University, Mary Paige took classes in breaking and training, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, as well as some elementary and agricultural education classes to help her focus on skills for teaching children. Growing up in Cameron, South Carolina, Mary Paige spent every summer going to camp, starting in 2nd grade up through her senior year of high school. She had her first pony ride at a zoo in Canada when she was five and was hooked! She rode on the PSJ show circuit growing up doing the hunters and the equitation. She also rode at Clemson University on their Equestrian team, where she served as team President.
She loves to increase her equine knowledge with clinics in all different styles of riding and training such as western dressage, calf roping, pole bending/barrel racing and even a polo class. She is a Facility Certifier and is the Regional Director for CHA’s Region 6 (including 6 New England states and 3 Canadian provinces). As a facility accreditor she keeps up with current safety standards and options for riding facilities that are in the forefront of the industry by attending the Equine Affaire in West Springfield, MA, the CHA International Conference each year, and recently worked the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, NC.
Mary Paige conveniently lives just 10 miles from camp and loves spending her summer at Kippewa together with her daughter, Elizabeth, her son, AJ and a full team of amazing horses and staff.
Ginger & Steve Clare
Camp Kippewa Directors
Ginger and Steve Clare, in partnership with Mary Paige, oversee the day-to-day operations of Kippewa Equestrian Academy with care, energy, and a deep love for camp life. Learn more about the Clares here!
KEA COUNSELORS
Our Equestrian Academy counselors are highly qualified, experienced, and dedicated staff. From college riders and experienced competitors to knowledgeable instructors and life-long horsewomen, they not only love horses and riding, they also have a passion for teaching and working with our campers in the bunk setting. They help girls learn at their own pace. Instructors are trained with CHA (Certified Horsemanship Association) standards and consistently demonstrate their commitment to meeting the varied needs of each rider by getting to know the campers on an individual basis.
While most of the counselors are equestrian specialists, we also hire lifeguards and general counselors to focus on the “camp” side of our campers’ experience.
MEET OUR HORSES
Kippewa Equestrian Academy is not your traditional camp horse facility. We spend the year scouting and selecting our horses from private owners across the northeast. We focus on having a wide range of mounts for our students. From small ponies to 17 hand horses, from the age of 4 to the age of 34, Kippewa horses are intentionally varied and individual. We bring in a wide variety of breeds so campers may find themselves riding a back yard horse with no papers one day and riding a registered, imported warmblood horse the next. Whether a camper is coming to us with years of experience or as a beginning rider, our herd offers a variety from green horses through school masters, ensuring that every rider finds a mount that will help them grow and excel. Many of our horses return to us summer after summer. We also specifically choose new horses each year based on our particular needs that summer. With over 45 horses at camp each year, every camper is sure to find one (or more) to love.
The Kippewa riding program really gave me confidence and so much more experience as a rider. The horses were amazing. All very different, and each of their individual quirks helped me grow and learn new things.
