88 SIDELINES JUNE 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
e
Education – Sweet Briar College
By Caileigh Bryant
When choosing a college frst crossed my mind, I had no idea
where I would end up. I had two concerns: choosing a school that
was not in my home state and fnding a college where I could
take my horse. I looked at schools like the University of Georgia,
Clemson and Virginia Tech. I liked many of the campus settings
and professors I met, but none of them seemed to be the right ft.
There was one college I visited that was not like any other - Sweet
Briar College.
I knew as soon as my Mother and I drove up the long winding
drive, lined with old trees and friendly woods, I wanted to go to
Sweet Briar. When I took my campus tour and saw girls wearing
Tailored Sportsman breeches and feld boots to class, I knew
I was in the right place. In the dining hall, a sea of polo shirts,
Lilly Pulitzer, USJHA barn jackets and laughter caught my
attention. After speaking with several girls, who rode, said they
enjoyed going to class and liked their personable and interesting
professors, I decided to apply.
When I got my acceptance letter I realized just how much getting
into the academically rich, equestrian enthused school meant to
me. I never would have guessed that I would be able to have as
much fun as I did, at an all-girls school in rural Virginia.
I went to the barn the second day of orientation; I got on a horse,
jumped a jump and was given three class times to choose from.
When I picked my classes for the fall semester, as an incoming
frst year, I very easily arranged my schedule around my time at
the barn.
Though SBC has several well-known teams, I was not
interested in joining any because my horse was too young to be
on the jumper team.
I didn’t take my horses with me the frst semester but I rode a
lovely Warmblood named Chase. I coveted Chase; he was my
lesson and show horse. Chase wasn’t the only friend I made at
the barn; I met girls from other classes, some of whom became
my best friends. They were friends who not only did hunters or
jumpers, but upper level dressage and eventing. We spent time
at the barn, in class or hacking out on the miles of beautiful trails.
We also went to Charlottesville, or weekend football tailgates at
Hampden- Sydney College.
When I brought my horse the second semester of my frst year,
I decided to keep him off campus. Through word of mouth I found
a lovely barn only a few minutes from the main campus. Several of
my friends also keep their horses there and it quickly became my
get away from the “pink bubble.” Even though my horse was not
boarded at SBC, I still went to shows and watched clinics alike.
I would never trade my time at Sweet Briar for another
experience. It was a step on my journey through life. A step many
women before me had taken, including one with whom I share a
love of dressage and Connemara ponies; Olympic rider Lendon
Gray.
Having an academically driven horsey community to be a
part of, and a barn that I run by when taking a jog around the
“Dairy Loop,” is one of the countless things I love about Sweet
Briar College. It may seem unique to an outside view, but it is a
strong community with horses and academics equally valued. It
is impossible to explain just what it is like to be a part of Sweet
Briar, but to sum up using a quote from a class T-shirt, “It’s not
four years, it’s for life.”
About the writer: Caileigh Bryant is from Aiken, South Carolina and rides at The
Stable on the Woods where she competes in dressage and jumpers with various
horses. She is almost fnished with her degree in English at Sweet Briar College.
Photos courtesy of Caileigh Bryant
Sweet Briar College:
A Sweet Decision
Sweet Briar is located in rural Virginia
A cross-country jump – with Sweet Briar in the background.
Caliegh Bryant