Equestrian consists of rising early, supportive team

by Allison Grande

Wednesday February 22, 2006

Recall the earliest time that you have ever woken up on the weekend.

Chances are the equestrian team probably has you beat.
Because there are no venues nearby for the team to show, the seventeen members of the team, along with the team’s coach Lori Rakoczy, must depart at 6 a.m. for their Saturday or Sunday show days with a return time that is usually no earlier than 6 p.m.

It’s said that what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger. Well, the equestrian team is alive and well, and their team chemistry has definitely benefited from the early morning bonding.

"I really love everybody on the team," first year Lauren Glowzenski said. "It’s really cool to have their support and have the whole team there for me."

Glowzenski has also learned that her team’s support is strong even at six in the morning.

"One morning, I didn’t wake up in time, so a few of them came to my door to wake me up," Glowzenski recalled.
Sophomore Maggie Fenwood agreed that she can always count on her teammates for help and support. "Everyone is really supportive of each other, and I feel like we click and get along very well. It’s nice to be on a team and to know that the other people are there to help you and cheer you on."

Even though the members of the team are all competing individually to move up within their division, they are also gaining points for the team. Those points are then put toward the team’s overall score for the day.

Unlike some of the other teams in their division, the Sarah Lawrence team does not in any way treat equestrian as an individual sport but rather supports each other at all times.
"When I go to a horse show, I see big teams from other schools ride their class and then disappear," Athletic Director Mary Levine said. "But the Sarah Lawrence team with their matching green jackets are all at the rail when one of their riders is in the ring."

Although the team encompasses a vast array of experience and talent levels from beginning riders to riders who have competed on the national circuit for years, most of the members have only ridden on an individual level and have never experienced team riding. However, all are enjoying the new experience.
"It’s a whole team of support rather than just individually competing," Glowzenski, who has been competing on the National Circuit for ten years but has never ridden on a team before, observed. "We’re there to shine each other’s boots and help each other get on the horses because we are all working together and going for the same goal of winning the show."

The team competed in six shows during the fall season, and the upcoming spring season will feature four shows with the possibility for members of the team to qualify for Nationals.
This spring’s team includes senior Captain Sarah Kaufmann, senior Victoria Shoesmith, juniors Emma Mullaney and Leah Pettersen, sophomores Maggie Fenwood, Sandra Glascock, Samantha Fein, Jessica Hilbert, and Aimee Logan, and first years Lauren Glowzenski, Michelle Kern, Dana Howorth, Aston Hollins McClanahan, Meghann Plunkett, Liz Stitzel, Abby Wellhouse and Gwenevere Willow.

The team’s goals for the spring season include building on the already strong showing from the fall. Currently in fourth place in their region, the team hopes to crack the top three during the upcoming season.

However, the team’s main focus remains on continuing to have fun and to grow as a team.

"My hope for the team this spring is for us all to ride our best and to feel that we are all helping the team to succeed," Fenwood said. "I really like the feeling that the equestrian team is kind of like an extended family. We can all be there for each other morally and physically during the shows and can relate to one another not only as teammates but as students and friends."

The equestrian team is always accepting donations to help them pay for their weekly lessons. If you would like to donate to the team or if you have any fundraising ideas, contact one of the members of the team.