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FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE SIDELINES JUNE 2011 57

That’s all part of the IHSA competition.”

Equitation is the name of the IHSA game, but it’s practical, to boot. The bottom line for the rider is getting the job done with the body parts in balance and in the correct position, whatever the horse might be doing.

“When I was at Averett University, I competed in IHSA myself in the open level, and I also trained my own horse to Intermediate in three-day eventing,” said C. J., whose credentials are pretty impeccable. She was selected to train with Jack LeGoff when he was the US team coach, but gave up eventing when she had the frst of her four children. Now if there’s any time to ride, it’s mostly dressage or a trail ride at Camp Forest Acres (ME) where she is Director of Riding during the summer.

“I do lots of things with my students that aren’t just totally riding and I give the team a lot of responsibility to put on quality shows so that they learn to work together,” said C. J. “I want my higher-level riders to understand that even the lower level riders are just as important. It’s hard to balance that, and I work really hard on it.” Part of ‘laying down the Law’ includes making sure that her riders don’t get all wound up from various pressures in their academic and equestrian lives.

“I think that women now have to learn to balance many ‘irons in the fre’ – some are in business and have high-paying jobs, but they want to continue with their hobbies and balance a family of some sort,” said C. J. “I try to make sure they keep a positive perspective – the glass is half-full.”

C. J. is also quick to point out that she herself keeps learning even after all these years. What she harvests in terms of her own experiences ends up infuencing her riders. What goes around, comes round.

“When you have a team, you must work as a team and trust that you can depend on others to help you out when things get a bit rough,” she explained. “We all have to learn that it’s okay to ask for help.”

It isn’t the rosettes, trophies and titles that make a winner. It’s heart. Just as C. J. recognizes hard work ethics and dedication in her Lyons, they respond to her total commitment to horses and helping students to achieve their goals.

“The students are young, but they’re open-minded, and they inspire me to be better,” said C. J. “If you truly work hard enough, you will succeed. You may need to ask for help along the way, but that’s okay. Believe in yourself and you will get where you want to go.”

C.J. Law and the Mount Holyoke riders who qualifed for Finals take a moment to capture some Intercollegiate memories

Photo by Ormophoto.com

Senior Academic Achievement Award.

“At Mount Holyoke, the equestrian team has the support of the campus, and the admissions offce understands about riders even before they get to college,” explained C. J. “It’s really great for the students to know that the college supports the riding program. They know we’re strong on academics, too. That’s why I started the academic award. It’s open to any senior student with a 3.5 GPA or higher.”

The IHSA recognized C. J. with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 for her innovative promotion of sportsmanship. She also founded the National Horse Show Sportsmanship Awards, one of three awards endowed by the Chu family in appreciation of their daughter’s dedicated coach whose positive attitude and team/ community-minded spirit continues to infuence Mount Holyoke students.

“I think when you have a group of young athletes together and they’re very competitive, you have to make sure that the students and coaches encourage everyone to work together for the overall goal,” said C. J. “I like to be there for them, not just as their riding coach, but also as someone they can talk to. Many of these students are away from their families for months at a time. They come from all over the US and from different countries. They know that I’m always there for them and that they can trust me.” According to Lindsay Sceats, Coach Law gives a pep talk to her team at the start of the show season. Horses always come frst. No matter what kind of ride they have, they have to pat the horse, return it pleasantly to its handler and then take a time out to get roiling emotions under control again. Students must never ever take that bad ride out on the horse.

Many college equestrian programs depend on the good will of people who donate or loan horses. Some horses might be stiffer on one rein; others have a favored lead and some are challenging to get in front of your leg. There’s a lot to be said about the luck of the IHSA draw. When you travel to an away show, you don’t know what you’ll get.

“A lot of wonderful people donate horses and sometimes the boarders let us use their horses,” said C. J. “That horse may not be the ride you were looking for, but students have to deal with whatever they draw. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I just make sure that my riders are really respectful to the horses and to the people who let us use their horses, especially if it’s a school horse program in another barn. Sometimes school horses act differently when you have people there for a horse show.