EQUESTRIANS COME TOGETHER AS ONE

The Fresno State Equestrian team welcomed 13 new freshmen this season. They were just back from a tough competition at Baylor University. However, they said teamwork made it worth it.

The freshmen were learning the responsibilities of being on a team. They wake up at six thirty twice a week for chores. They practice everyday, and also need to study.

Alivia Hart is a freshman on the hunt seat team. That is the english riding team; they don’t have a horn on the saddle. Alivia’s favorite horse is Mac. “He’s my favorite horse in the barn he always puts a smile on my face,” Alivia said.

In the eighth week of school things, things were trotting along. “School and riding are very much pushed together, cleaning up the horses then helping with them, then going to class and sitting in a classroom. It is an ongoing thing” Hart said. Everyone was starting to find their groove.

Paige Barton is a junior on the reining team, “Its hard being a freshman. There is a lot of things you need to overcome. You have to learn how to manage your time, manage your horses, manage riding different horses that aren’t the best,” Barton said. With the help of upper classmen and encouragement from the coaches and staff, these girls were determined to keep perfecting patterns in the different disciplines.

Hailey Livingston is a sophomore on the hunt seat team. “I know how important it is to make sure to give them that confidence they need if they’re having a bad day,” Livingston said. No one wants the bad day to be on a day like this, a competition.

All the training in Fresno came to play on days like this. After competing at Baylor and being defeated by a top seven team in the nation, “It made me realize that a good ride or bad ride, my team is my team through it all” Hart said.