By: Rebekah Poff ’18, Staff Writer
Many people fail to recognize the athletic skills equestrians possess.
LVC’s equestrian team of nine work hard for its show season each year.
Horseback riding is a sport that takes dedication and hours of practice just like any other. Unlike being able to control a ball or make a pass, equestrians have to be able to control a 1,100 pound animal.
“A lot of people say that the horse does all the work and we just sit there, but that is actually not true,” Beka Brown, a junior business administration major, said. “We use so much muscle. It takes conditioning and we can get out of shape too.”
The team is registered with the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and competes in horse shows hosted by this organization. IHSA shows are very different from a traditional horse show. Riders draw a random horse that they are unfamiliar with, and that is the horse they compete on.
“Because of the team, I’m forced to ride a bunch of different horses which makes you a more rounded rider,” Brown said.
In IHSA, every rider is placed in a division based on her ability entering college. Riders can advance to more challenging divisions by earning points for placing in their class. They must earn 36 points to do this.
The horse shows test equestrians’ riding ability and skill, which creates more of a challenge riding a strange horse. Because of this setup, riders really grow in their abilities and learn more about the sport.
“I have gotten better at jumping when I started riding on the team with Cheryl, our coach,” Julia Rutherford, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major, said.
The equestrian team has sent countless riders to regionals, zones and even nationals. The team may be small in size, but they are very accomplished in their awards.
The team takes riding lessons with their coach, Cheryl Keller, to practice for future competitions. The team has upcoming shows on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5.
rmp002@lvc.edu