Equestrianism, the skill of riding horses, has commonly been a financially demanding and specialized sport, but the AU Club Equestrian Team offers riders an affordable way to continue riding at the collegiate level.
Co-founded in the fall of 2003, the team welcomes riders of all ability levels and backgrounds. Members do not have to compete in order to be part of the team.
Generally, the AU student body knows little about this club sport. Riders are hard to spot around campus because they travel to Lakeside Stables in Clarksburg, Md. for practice. There, Coach Jeff Becker provides team members with horses and once-weekly group lessons determined by their ability level.
Of the 23 riders in the club, the team is only allowed to show 15 of them in competition. In order to give each rider a chance to compete, Becker rotates the lineup every competition.
In competitions, also known as horse shows, each rider competes individually in equitation or jumping, collecting points for the overall team score and personal placement. The points a rider collects determine when they will advance to the next skill level.
Many of the team members are involved in equitation, where riders are judged by their form and ability to control the horse.
“Equitation is a lot about showing yourself off and showing how good you look,” said senior Bailey Bearss, president and captain of the team. “A lot of horseback riding is making the connection between you and the horse look effortless, like you are a pair.”
The horses mounted in competition are, for the most part, provided by the host school. Prior to competition, riders draw a Popsicle stick with the name of the horse they will be riding and the rider is not given the opportunity to warm up on the horse.
According to junior Madeline Cohen, the hardest and most nerve-racking part of the equestrian sport is mounting a new horse.
“It is about being very flexible as a rider and being able to ride a whole slew of different types of horses, because they are all different,” Cohen said.
To prepare his team members for the spontaneity of competition, Becker requires members to ride a different horse each practice. This helps the riders learn to quickly adjust themselves in any situation.
Despite training a young team this season — there are five returning riders — Becker is confident about the incoming talent. At the team’s first competition the weekend of Oct. 3, Becker saw a basis of a successful team being formed.
“They all support each other and help each other,” Becker said. “They really are a good team.”
Being on the team has taught AU’s riders important lessons that they have been able to apply outside of the sport. Sophomore Rachel Tranchik emphasized the patience the equestrian sport has instilled in her.
“With any horse that you have, you have to learn their different tricks. Horses have the tendency to test you,” Tranchik said. “They know who you are and know your strong points and weaknesses, and they use that to their advantage.”
Becker expects to the team to continue to grow and overcome their nerves and fears at their next showing on Oct. 24 at Goucher College in Baltimore.
You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
