TAKE ONE FO 16 SUMMER 2011 • PAINT HORSE CONNECTION
R THE TEAM Want to ride <strong>horse</strong>s at <strong>the</strong> collegiate level? The AjPHA-rich Texas Christian University Equestrian Team <strong>of</strong>fers advice on how to do it. Article and Photography by ABIGAIL WILDER BOATWRIGHT AjPHA member Jessica Hagen spent her Youth years competing in a variety <strong>of</strong> events. From cutting to excelling on <strong>the</strong> hunter-jumper circuit, Hagen made <strong>the</strong> most <strong>of</strong> that time. When she looked toward college, she knew she had to keep riding—but how? Many active Youth riders ponder this question. Luckily for today’s <strong>horse</strong>-crazy teens, collegiate equestrian opportunities have become increasingly popular options to continue one’s growth as a rider, make friends and even receive scholarships to o<strong>the</strong>rwise-unaffordable universities. Read on to see if collegiate riding is right for you. WHY GO COLLEGIATE? All too <strong>of</strong>ten, successful Youth riders are forced to leave <strong>the</strong> competition world behind when <strong>the</strong>y go <strong>of</strong>f to college. Even if <strong>the</strong>y are lucky enough to have <strong>horse</strong>s back at home, <strong>the</strong>ir skills can become rusty and <strong>the</strong>ir progress as riders stagnates without regular saddle time. Texas Christian University Equestrian Team Coach and APHA Judge Gary Reynolds says collegiate riding provides students with a way to ride <strong>of</strong>ten, improve <strong>the</strong>ir skills and learn important life lessons. “For many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se girls, it’s an opportunity for <strong>the</strong>m to extend <strong>the</strong>ir knowledge to keep learning and growing,” Reynolds said. “Equestrian allows <strong>the</strong>m to take on a sport that’s similar, but very different in how it’s conducted. “Secondly, it allows <strong>the</strong>m to learn how to work with a team. Those are some skills that we don’t really get to teach <strong>the</strong>m growing up on <strong>the</strong> breed circuit. So being a part <strong>of</strong> that teamwork is important.” Collegiate equestrian team riders—like those at TCU—are <strong>of</strong>ten recruited from across <strong>the</strong> country. Reynolds says <strong>the</strong> diverse mix benefi ts everyone on <strong>the</strong> team. “Equestrian teams provide <strong>the</strong> ability to work with and be around girls from all over <strong>the</strong> nation who are very accomplished riders,” Reynolds said. “It gives you <strong>the</strong> chance to increase your knowledge and expertise from a variety <strong>of</strong> areas.” Don’t f<strong>org</strong>et about scholarship possibilities. Reynolds says every rider on TCU’s squad—which includes many AjPHA alumni—receives some form <strong>of</strong> scholarship aid. PAINT RIDERS HAVE AN EDGE Reynolds knows <strong>the</strong> value <strong>of</strong> AjPHA riders. Many <strong>of</strong> his equestrian team <strong>members</strong> have backgrounds in Paint competition, and that’s not a coincidence. “APHA girls fi t what we do because <strong>the</strong>y still do <strong>the</strong> allaround,” Reynolds explained. “They are still very used to doing a lot <strong>of</strong> different events, ranging from hunter under saddle, barrels and reining, to <strong>horse</strong>manship and <strong>the</strong> rail classes. All those things lend <strong>the</strong>mselves very well to being an effective rider for our sport.” HIGH SCHOOL PREP Young riders can prepare to ride at <strong>the</strong> collegiate level long before <strong>the</strong>y graduate from high school. The No. 1 piece <strong>of</strong> advice given by Reynolds and his team is to ride as many <strong>horse</strong>s as possible. Collegiate riding is a form <strong>of</strong> catch-riding. National Collegiate Athletic Association riders are only allowed four minutes to ride <strong>the</strong>ir assigned <strong>horse</strong>s—drawn at random from a pool provided by <strong>the</strong> host school—before competing. Intercollegiate Horse Show Association exhibitors don’t ride <strong>the</strong> <strong>horse</strong> at all prior to entering <strong>the</strong> ring for <strong>the</strong>ir classes. Experience on a variety <strong>of</strong> <strong>horse</strong>s is crucial to success. “The summer before I came to college, I rode at least fi ve <strong>horse</strong>s a day, almost every single day,” Hagen recalled. RECRUITING 101 Depending which collegiate <strong>org</strong>anizations your chosen school participates in, you might have to tread carefully when it comes to contacting coaches. Just like in o<strong>the</strong>r sports, <strong>the</strong> NCAA has strict regulations about equestrian-team recruitment. Youth riders and parents can contact coaches by phone and e-mail, but regulations limit coaches from returning phone calls until July 1 between <strong>the</strong> rider’s junior and senior years <strong>of</strong> high school. “If you call a coach, be sure to say what year you are in school if you leave that coach a message,” Reynolds said. “If you are not <strong>of</strong> recruiting age, I can’t return your phone call, so if you don’t tell me what age you are, I won’t return your phone call. If you are younger than recruiting age, you can call me as many times as you want, and I can answer PAINT HORSE CONNECTION • SUMMER 2011 17
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