By Jessica Grutkowski
Portraits by Lauren Ann Wagner
Isabel McGovern had nothing to lose when she attended tryouts for Auburn University’s National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) team on her first day of school freshman year. The chances of being recruited to play on a D1 NCEA dual-discipline team are quite slim, especially at Auburn, a team known for consistently ranking at the top of the Southeastern Conference standings. Imagine Isabel’s surprise when she received an email that night to congratulate her on making the team.
Born and raised in Woodside, California, Isabel grew up in a family that was apprehensive about horses. “At first, my dad, Patrick, warned us to stay away from horses because they were dangerous. I think the universe decided to play a trick on him,” she said. “My mom, Raquel, believes that some things are just meant to be; it’s just part of your DNA. Horses were meant to be part of my life.”
Isabel admittedly got a late start in horses compared to other young equestrians. “I have always been quite small, so I rode school ponies for several years,” Isabel said. “My show experience was limited. I would show in some flat classes a few times a year.”
When she was 10 years old, Isabel went to ride at Charlebois Farm in Portola Valley. “I was the youngest client, with the least experience,” Isabel said. “I ended up riding my trainer’s personal horse—a 17-hand, chestnut jumper. I was too small and light for such a big horse; I would slide back and forth at the canter and had to use the mounting block to get off.”
Clearly, they weren’t a match, but Isabel was grateful for the experience. The McGoverns recognized their daughter had talent and agreed it was time to lease a suitable horse. “I leased an older, teacher-type horse named Black Diamond, known as Sheldon,” she said. “Sheldon was a beautiful, black 2004 Oldenburg gelding.”
She began leasing Sheldon around the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic. “2020 was a tipping point. I had only shown a few times a year at our local Woodside horse show,” Isabel said. “With Sheldon, I was able to show at some bigger venues like Sonoma Horse Park, and it opened up a whole world for me. Pandemic restrictions made it challenging, but I was hooked.”
Isabel and Sheldon competed in the Children’s Hunters for several years. “I really hadn’t shown much and Sheldon was an amazing teacher,” she said. “We also did some equitation medals together, but his lease stipulated he couldn’t jump higher, so we began the search for my next horse.”
Finding Her Heart Horse
In Spring 2022, Isabel went to the Murrieta Equestrian Center near Sacramento to try horses with her trainer, John Charlebois. “I had already tried so many horses with no luck, which was the opposite of how things went with Sheldon,” she said. “I was planning on letting my barn mate have the first pick, but she ended up cancelling.”
Isabel was nervous on the first horse, mainly because he was 6 years old and she didn’t know how he would react in the schooling ring. “My trainer always says, ‘We don’t get green horses for kids,’ but he had seen the horse as a 5-year-old and was impressed,” she said. “I really liked the first horse, but was worried about going from a seasoned horse like Sheldon to a green horse—especially when I was planning to move up.”
After that initial trial, Isabel waited in the barn for the next horse to be ready. “I noticed a horse looking for attention through his stall door, so I went down to see him,” she said. “He was licking my hand and I was playing with his nose. He had so much personality.” Isabel rode two more horses, and in between rides, would come back to see her new friend. At the end of the trials, John suggested she get back on the first horse.
To her surprise, it was the same horse she had been bonding with in between trials. “I didn’t know any of the horse’s names, and didn’t recognize him in the stall,” she said. “Riding Finn a second time—especially after getting to know him more—made our final decision easy.”
Finn, known as Eclipse in the show ring, is a 2016 bay Hanoverian by Chatender. “I had only jumped him a few times and was eager to see how he would behave at shows. We kept throwing him into different situations, and he continued to step up to the plate,” she said. “We put him in front of liverpools, triple bars and rode in the Grand Prix ring, but he never batted an eye!”
Eclipsing the Competition
At the start of their partnership, Isabel and Finn showed in the Children’s Hunters to get to know each other. When they felt comfortable, they stepped up to the Junior Hunters. “We didn’t want to rush his development,” she said. “We took things slowly, but he was ready.” The pair qualified for the 2023 Junior Hunter Finals West, and finished fifth overall in the 16-17 Large Junior Hunter 3’3” Division.
Capping off a successful show season, Isabel and Finn moved up to the 3’6” Junior Hunters and qualified once again for Finals. This would be her last opportunity to compete as a Junior before aging out, but Isabel almost didn’t make it to finals that year when the dates and location changed, conflicting with a family vacation in Europe. “We got invited on a trip of a lifetime to Italy,” Isabel said. “It took some begging, but ultimately my parents knew how important it was to me, and let me leave early aboard a 16-hour solo flight to California.”
Isabel had never flown alone before, but she knew her father would arrive a few days later. “I wasn’t old enough to rent a car, and was completely unfamiliar with Del Mar,” she said. “Thankfully, my parents arranged for family friends to pick me up at the airport and helped me get to the horse show.”
Since realizing their daughter’s passion wasn’t just a phase, her parents have transformed into full-fledged horse-show parents. “They are truly my biggest cheerleaders,” she said. “My dad is one of those dads who doesn’t want the puppy, and then dad and the puppy become best friends. They both love Finn like family.”
Isabel’s hours of travel paid off, and Finn finished third overall in the 16-17 Small Junior Hunter 3’6” Division at the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship. “I knew this was my last opportunity to compete at Finals, and my goal was to finish in the top three,” she said. “The first year we were in third, but a mistake caused us to drop down to fifth overall. This year we were in fourth, and moved up a spot to third in the handy round.”
Next Chapter
Her Junior years in the show ring were coming to a close, as was her senior year of high school. Isabel had always considered riding in college, but she began the traditional recruiting process a bit late. “My parents have always valued education, and my school didn’t allow me to take many days off. Luckily, we had a bunch of great local shows, and the weather is nice most of the year,” she said. “On paper, I’m not your typical D1 athlete.”
Isabel attended a college recruitment camp at Auburn, and reached out to the coaches at UC Davis, but the East Coast camps filled up quickly. “My major is industrial design—it’s like engineering, but with art, instead of science. I want to make prototypes for the equine industry,” she said. “Auburn was always my dream college—it’s the only school with this major and a D1 team.”
Isabel committed to Auburn as a “regular” student with the understanding that she would have an opportunity to try out for the team. “I didn’t have the experience that some of the other riders had; I only had one horse and hadn’t shown beyond the West Coast,” she said.
On her first day at Auburn, Isabel got dressed and headed to the equestrian center. “I was assigned a horse, and the coaches watched me flat with five other riders. I was allowed to have two warm-up jumps before navigating a full course,” she said. “The coaches said, ‘Good,’ after my ride, but I had no idea what that meant overall. It all happened so fast, and before I knew it, I was off to class.”
Auburn’s NCEA team roster includes seasoned competitors like Avery Glynn, Kate Hagerty and Ariana Marnell, so it came as a huge surprise when later that evening, Isabel received an email from the coaches. “I couldn’t believe it; I made the team,” she said. “I was a normal student for one day, and then my work as a D1 athlete began.”
Isabel was assigned housing before earning a spot on the team. “I have a slightly different experience from my teammates, many of whom live together, but I’m with them every day,” Isabel said. “I’m awake before dawn for our 5:30 a.m. team workouts. Sometimes we’ll catch breakfast after the gym. We work really hard, but we have a lot of fun.”
The team has about 45 riders, and approximately five starters per discipline for a total of 10 to 13 competitors at any given meet. “I don’t compete yet, but I enjoy being part of the team. I learned to braid; it’s my special way of contributing on meet day,” Isabel said. Being part of the team is more than just riding; she attends every practice, meet and event, and helps ensure things run smoothly. “We have a big cheering section. I love the camaraderie,” she said.
Reflecting on his past eight years as Isabel’s trainer, John said, “She has grown from a young, wide-eyed horse lover to a hardworking, aspiring equestrian athlete. Isabel always has a positive attitude; she shows up ready to listen and learn.”
Isabel is excited for her next three years as a Tiger. The McGoverns decided to make Finn a forever family member, and he has a new rider back in California. “My good friend is showing him in the Children’s Hunters,” Isabel said. “My hope is that we’ve given him the experience to teach her the ropes and move up, just like I did.”
Follow Isabel on Instagram @Isabel._.mc and on TikTok: Isabel._.eq
Photos by Lauren Ann Wagner, laurenannphoto.art, unless noted otherwise
