Page 50 - 2306

Riding in college is fundamentally different than rid-ing one’s own horse at a horse show. The major dif-ference is that each rider at an intercollegiate show is selected a mount thru a random draw. The rider that excels in this format is the one that has good a “feel” of their horse and adjusts their ride accordingly. Another difference in the two venues is that only equitation is judged at the collegiate level, so while the rider is com-municating with their unfamiliar mount the equitation basics of quiet hands, a good seat and a strong bal-anced position is emphasized. Another factor in inter-collegiate riding is horsemanship, since a rider will be judged as much on overall position and the ability to deal with an unfamiliar mount.

How to prepare for the college riding experience? Expose yourself to as many types of horses as pos-sible. This can be accomplished by lessoning on unfa-miliar horses and helping your trainer around the barn, offering to ride the horses that need exercise. Another fabulous way to become accustomed to the college rid-ing experience is to join an IEA high school or middle school team and/or to encourage your trainer to start an IEA team. The IEA format mirrors that of the IHSA so it is an invaluable tool in preparing for collegiate

riding, to learn more about the IEA go to www.rideIEA.com . As owner and operator of www.EquestrianCollegeRe-cruiter.com I can easily say that the biggest mistake made by equestrian athletes hoping to ride on the college level is not starting the process of planning the athletes future soon enough. As early as middle school an equestrian athlete should start keeping accurate records of riding accomplish-ments along with good video of riding performances. This way when it comes time to promote the student athlete to potential colleges in sophomore or junior year of high school, the students’ resume along with video will be in order. Start-ing in freshman year of high school, student athletes can post their equestrian profle on www.EquestrianCollegeRe-cruiter.com to gain exposure to colleges that might not yet be on the student’s radar, since college coaches peruse this site for upcoming potential team members.

In closing I can say the most important factor in the equestrian athletes resume would be academic scores; all potential collegiate riders should pay due diligence to their grades. Many colleges wanting equestrian athletes will offer academic full or partial rides to acquire a student athlete and still more will offer partial athletic scholarships paired with partial academic scholarships to entice student athletes to their programs, so by having weak academics an athlete is diminishing their chances for strong scholarship money.

Page 50 - 2306_full

Page 50 - 2306_full