Since its founding , horse stables have been an integral part of Philadelphia. Some of it’s oldest stables include the Monestary Stables in Northwest Philadelphia and the Rittenhouse Row Square Stables , whose buildings were erected between 1881 and 1884.
Today — you might be surprised at the sound of horse hooves in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia. But if you only expect to see horses in modern-day America relegated to leading carriage tours in Center City, then you don’t know Philadelphia. For over a century — horse stables have been a part of the Strawberry Mansion section of North Philadelphia known as the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club. Philadelphia’s tradition of horses is also supported by the incredible contributions of the Black Cowboys Association as well as Work to Ride — a program out of Fairmount Park that was founded in 1994 by Lezlie Hiner.
Over the years — stables that were not officially sanctioned existed in the Cobb’s Creek section of the city, some of which were on land that was abandoned. It’s an exiting modern-day moment for Temple Athletes and students alike when the horses ride past one of Temple University’s outdoor athletic fields.
Although the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club has officially been teaching Philadelphia’s youth to ride for 45 years since 1980 — the stables and horses have been a mainstay in Philadelphia for nearly 100 years. The current Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club was founded by Ellis Ferrell in 2004. In the beginning — the horses utilized in the Club came from a New Holland, Pennsylvania auction of livestock.
At a Halloween event in 2009 — at First District Plaza in Philadelphia — a benefit was held to support the Urban Cowboys. Beginning in 2015– the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club would become a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status organization and are also supported by the Friends of Fletcher Street.
In April of 2021 — Netflix released Concrete Cowboys with Idris Elba. Since November 2023 — the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club has utilized new stables at The Cliffs in Fairmount Park. On a nice day in North Philadelphia — you can catch the equestrians from “The Oval” outside of its Temple’s recreation fields to an area of horse racing in Fairmount Park known as “The Speedway.” If you see urban cowboys riding the asphalt of North Philadelphia, enjoy. Horses are one of Philadelphia’s longest
Michael Thomas Leibrandt is member of the York Road Historical Society and lives and works in Abington Township.
