Equestrian Team Breaks School Record

The equestrian team has had much success this season and it's not hard to understand why. It is a sport that the team captain, Sela Fine, said takes “talent and guts,” two qualities the current team undoubtedly possesses.

“We’ve placed in the top four for overall team points,” Fine said. “This is very exciting news for us since previous to last year we haven’t placed very well in team ribbons as there are nine other schools in our region that we are competing against.”

This year's equestrian team has made Scranton history with six members of the team competing in the regional show and a few in more than one class. Katelyn Langford, Lauren Rice, Alexandra Mueller, Kelsi McGlone, Claire Jarvis and Fine will be competing on March 31 for a spot in Zones, which potentially leads to qualifying for the National Competition.

While an observer might see the riders easing through the course, Fine said the art of being an equestrian is far more complex than one could imagine.

“A lot of people aren’t aware of the fact that as a team we show up to the shows and are randomly assigned a horse to ride for our specific classes. We aren’t given any time to get to know the horse’s habits but are put to the task of figuring that out while trying to perform perfectly in the class. Along with this, there are times where a rider may get a horse that’s a little more complicated to figure out than other horses,” Fine said.

Perhaps the only quality of the equestrian team more remarkable than their talent and perseverance is their close bond. To them, it is not so much about individual successes as it is about the overall effort to secure the win for the entire team.

“The equestrian team is just as much a team sport as an individual sport. The team ribbons allow us to compete against other schools and feel a sense of unity,” Fine said.

Robert Hermes, assistant director of recreational sports, testifies to the team’s well-earned accolades and deserved spots in the Regional Competition.

“They are an amazing group of women who are dedicated to their sport,” he said. “I admire the work they put in and how far they have come as a club in my years overseeing them. I wish them the best of luck as the season wraps up.  They are a testament to the important opportunities afforded by the growing club sports program here at The University of Scranton."