Caitlin Dorsch ~ Co-Editor in Chief
While many students are still sleeping or getting ready for their first class of the day, members of the equestrian team are with their horses, preparing them to compete in events. Along with having the responsibility to take care of their horses, the team members must lift and engage in team-building activities with each other. Fourth-year student Missy Green insisted, “I am glad to be a part of a team that I can call my family.” From spending hours with each other in the barn with their horses, doing homework, lifting, or eating, the team members support one another both in and out of the barn.
“Over the past few months, the team has been working on bonding as a team so when it comes time to compete, we are ready to support one another to be the best that each other can be. We have also been focusing on getting the horses back in shape to be ready for the season which in return also helps us get back in the rhythm of everything,” says second-year student Taylor Herzog.
The team placed seventh out of nine teams, beating Ferrum College and Roanoke College, at the University of Virginia’s Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) event on Sunday, Nov. 3. Second-year student Olivia Smith placed fourth over Limit Fences and scored the most points for the University of Lynchburg as a result.
“Over the past few months,” Green said, “my teammates and I have bonded as a team inside and outside of the barn. Everyone supports each other, whether at shows or lessons. Our horses have been an asset to the equestrian program, and I have learned so much from them.” Both Herzog and Green agreed that, even though each teammate competes with their horse, understanding each other’s mentality is dramatically important for both individual and collective success of the team.
The Lady Hornets’ next competition is away at Washington and Lee University in an IHSA on Saturday, Feb. 8, which is an all-day event. There next home event is on Saturday, Feb. 15, in an IHSA, hosted by the University of Lynchburg at 10 a.m. Please come out to support your Hornet team!