Hunt seat team scores big in home show
The Wilson College Hunt Seat team arrived at the barns at 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 2 to prepare for their home Intercollegiate Horse Show Association competition.
Just like any other sporting team, the Hunt Seat team considers this event’s home-field advantage important since riders were familiar with many of the horses.
Another benefit to a home show is that travel time isn’t necessary. Fallon Schoch ’17 said, “It was really nice to not have to travel hours to show.”
However, a lot of additional work is involved in a home show. Alexandra Veach ’14, Hunt Seat Team captain, said that away shows only take about a week of preparation while a home show takes a full month. The team is responsible for creating jump courses and they have a lot more responsibilities the day of the competition.
Veach credits the Hunt Seat team’s success to their new coach, Jenna Beatty.
“I could not be more pleased with Jenna,” said Veach. She also stated that the show’s success was “not a fluke.”
There were a few mishaps during the day. A few of the horses did not behave as the team had hoped. Veach explained that horses have good days and bad days and are unpredictable. There were also pleasant surprises. Some horses acted better than expected and the day progressed smoothly. Celia Whitcomb ’17 said, “The team made sure that everything ran smoothly.”
Gettysburg College co-hosted the show and provided some of their horses for use. This allowed the Wilson horses to have breaks and to compete in fewer classes.
The Wilson College Hunt Seat team believes in the team spirit of supporting one other.
“My roommate, Taylor Huntley, who is also on the team, placed first,” said Molly McElroy ’17. “Her first college first place ribbon. I was so proud of her along with the rest of the girls who got ribbons! Out team is so supportive of each other and I think we really showed that at the home show!”
Schock added that this event served to bring the team together.
Wilson finished the day in 4th place, which put them in 3rd place overall for the season. The other schools competing in the event include Penn State University, Gettysburg College, Lebanon Valley College, Dickinson College, Susquehanna University, Bucknell University, and Lycoming College.