By Cadence Redmond
The University of Maryland equestrian team placed second at its home show on Nov. 7 at Meadowbrook Stables.
Several UMD riders earned first place, accumulating enough points for the team to become reserve champions, Isabella Foote, a sophomore architecture major, said.
Jenna Pivnick, 22, a kinesiology transfer student, placed first in the limit over fences class. However, her placement did not contribute to the team’s overall score because she was not a designated point rider.
“I’m super happy. I won at my last home show, so I’m super excited to take my last home show pick with a blue ribbon,” Pivnick said. “Some social media bragging is about to happen.”
Pivnick said she has appreciated the community the UMD equestrian team has provided. She said that what helped her prepare was observing her horse pre-show and talking with the rider who warmed him up.
Before the riders present during their class or section of the show, they have time to observe the horses during pre-show schooling, where other riders will take the horses for a lap around the barn while the riders showing can watch and take mental notes.
Co-presidents Gaby Hodor and Julie Anne Lynskey said the UMD equestrian team was responsible for running the show, including helping guide horses to the ring and familiarizing the horses with courses.
“We make sure that all of the things in the ring are set up. We make sure all the horses are prepped to look their best, and then we have to prep all of these things,” Lynskey, a senior animal sciences and biological sciences major, said. “It’s a huge effort.”
According to the rules of the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association, riders at the show were randomly assigned horses from the ones provided by the stable, with some brought in from other schools or riders.
The format of these horse shows is based on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, which looks more for the abilities of the riders, not necessarily the connections or relationships between rider and horse. So most often the riders will not get to ride their own horse.
“But it’s not judging how your horse is going, like typical other things. So they’re looking for your heels, your shoulders, your hands, your eye, how you’re moving, that kind of thing,” Foote said.
The team welcomed a new coach this year, Sara Bender. Hodor, a senior human development and animal sciences major, said the team has received their new coach very well and appreciates her contributions.
Bender spoke with each rider after their race, including Lily Sties, a sophomore criminal justice major.
Sties placed third in intermediate over fences and drew her own horse, Dory, for her showing.
“It was very familiar, and I felt like I knew what I was doing. Gave me an advantage for sure, but the pressure was on because it is my horse, obviously. So I needed to be good,” Sties said.
Featured Image: The home show on Nov. 7 at Meadowbrook Stables. Photo by Cadence Redmond.