BY JON WATERS
The blog in early February by my distinguished friend Peter Cashman highlights familiar themes that have been batted around collegiate equestrian circles, especially during the past six years.
As the Director of Athletics at a school that has proudly participated in the IHSA for more than 40 years, I feel like his argument on what IHSA can provide as a substitute for NCEA actually enhances the case for all competition formats and disciplines, both varsity and club, to be available to collegiate riders.
Understated Impact
For the past 20 years, there’s been incredible growth and impact on the sport made by the veteran coaches and trainers who have graced the rings on our campuses, across all collegiate equestrian competition formats.
There are more collegiate riders currently participating than at any point in history. IHSA numbers are at an all-time high, NCEA school numbers are growing, ANRC continues to provide a championship event each year, IDA and USEA offer opportunities for riders outside of the hunt seat discipline, and the Tournament of Champions series provides an additional competitive outlet for programs already competing in the college organizations.
Schools are hungry for enrollment, riders and their families are hungry for participation and competition opportunities, and it’s the variety in format that scratches that itch. Even for programs with incredible coaching, it’s nearly impossible to keep more than 25 students engaged in an IHSA program during the course of the year.
Providing schools the opportunity to sponsor teams in multiple formats is a major key to developing efficiencies in program delivery so schools like Lynchburg can effectively provide quality opportunities for between 40-50 hunt seat riders each year. If programs are encouraged to select only one path, especially by collegiate equestrian associations themselves, participation opportunities will decline overall.
Inclusive Does Not Mean Divisive
One of my favorite things about IHSA events is to watch the variety or levels and the true heartfelt JOY and support that riders have for those who might be at an entry level experiencing their first horse shows, shoulder to shoulder with savvy veteran riders that are taking the next strides in their lifelong riding careers.
The format has curated itself in a special way over the years, and the strategic ways that coaches matriculate people through the classes over the course of their college career is an art form.
and
The head-to-head format of NCEA is an incredible way to enjoy competition, point for point, on the same horse in the same setting in a highly supportive team environment.
True inclusivity does not necessitate exclusion of other opportunities. Celebrate it all, or risk it all.
History Has Its Eyes On Us
Can you imagine being a collegiate rider in 1980 and the pride and awe that they must feel if they stood at Tryon at the IHSA Championships and saw what it has become, or sat in the stands with hundreds of fans at WEC watching the NCEA Championships play out point by point?
That growth and evolution have been possible because the leaders from past generations of collegiate riding poured themselves into their specific competition format, and the variety has benefited an entire generation of junior riders.
It’s time to now build upon this incredible foundation and move the sport forward together, celebrating and honoring where it has come from and where it can go.
