With alumnae athletes moving
on, the Bucks Equestrian team is
hosting a brand new roster of
riders this season.
The first competition was Oct.
4 at Rider University; so finding
a season preview involved a trip
to the stable.
It was mid-morning at the
George School’s upper riding
ring and about 10 horses were
circling at a trot.
“Use your upper body as the
gas pedal!” “Get into the
rhythm!” Coach Amber Jewell
was calling out commands to the
students in the Bucks horsemanship
class. This class doubles as
practice for the equestrian team,
and is open to anyone interested
in horsemanship at Bucks.
Stephanie Vona, 18, is a freshman
that will be competing in
the Hunter/Jumper class. Vona
cleared a series of jumps with
ease as she guided her horse for
the day, Lakota, through a pass.
From a non-rider’s prospective
the feat is impressive, but Vona
is experienced. “I came off that
last jump at an angle,” Vona
yelled before Jewell ccould even
correct her mistake.
Another rider, Casey Nimmo,
17, has been riding for seven
years and will be competing in
the Hunter/Jumper class this
fall. Of the class, Nimmo said,
“It’s basically free showing!
Also, the class is great practice
for the team.”
Students wishing to compete
with the Bucks Equestrian team
do not have to own a horse or
pay for an individual class or
workout time at private barns.
The riders do pay for their competition
in individual shows, but
the $30-$40 show fee is manageable
to these riders.
At the collegiate level, showing
horses is considered a team and
individual sport. Riders score
points through the place and ribbon
they receive in competition.
Individual points are added to
form a team’s score and the
schools are ranked based on
these scores.
Bucks, along with 13 other area
schools, competes in the IHSA
Zone 3- Region 2. Unlike other
sports, Equestrian competition
groups schools by region rather
than size or division. As a result,
Bucks competes with schools
such as Drexel, Temple,
University of Pennsylvania and
West Chester University.
Schools compete in both Western
and English riding.
In competition, the athletes
pick their horse at random before
they compete. This practice
eliminates the bias that sometimes
comes from having a “better,”
more expensive horse for
showing.
John Hale, 18, is a Bucks freshman
who has been riding for 14
years. Hale was jumping a particularly
stubborn horse at practice,
but met the challenge with
excitement and grace. “I’m looking
forward to showing a lot of
different horses,” Hale remarked
as he brushed his horse in the
barn, post-workout. Even as a
non-rider, it is hard not to catch
his enthusiasm.
In the end, the grace and
majesty of watching the horses
move fluently over cross-beam
jumps and pull through figureeight
maneuvers at a gallop is
reason enough any Bucks student
should attend the next
Equestrian competition.
Information and schedules can
be found on the Bucks website at
bucks.edu/athletics.