Behind the scenes of varsity sports lie lesser-known club sports, and one of them, the equestrian team, has been riding its way to one of its most successful seasons.
In August Farm in Holliston, Mass., members of the equestrian team practice weekly for a shot at Nationals. Led by coach Charlotte McEnroe, the team has enjoyed recent success, finishing either first or second in their league three of the last four years. The team competes in Zone 1, Region 4, which consists of Stonehill, Boston University, Wellesley, Boston College, and Brandeis, among others.
Top rival Stonehill operates with the benefit of varsity funding and facilities.
The Jumbos rebounded from a disappointing sixth place finish last year.
"We have been successful this year, the team has really come together well," junior co-captain Kate Stewart said. "We finished second out of 12 teams."
While the team has changed from a year ago, the atmosphere of optimism has helped the team to its success.
"Last year we had a lot of people abroad so we lost some talent," senior co-captain Katie Estes said. "Also, we have really come together as a team in support of one another. This really helps the new riders gain confidence and get better."
Some notable underclassmen include freshman rider Hannah Newmark and sophomore Alex Allweiss. Newmark began the season will little riding experience but quickly became an integral part of the team. Riding in the walk-trot division, Newmark was able to gain crucial points for the team.
Allweiss was the overall high point rider in the Boston University show held on April 3. She missed qualifying for the Zone finals by a single spot during the regional finals held the same day.
The team's continuing success can be attributed to McEnroe's leadership. Aside from leading the team for over twenty years, McEnroe trained Olympian Peter Wylde ('89) during his time at Tufts.
"She does a great job with all our riders," Stewart said. "She is able to coach all ability levels and help inexperienced riders along."
Despite being a club sport, interest is high as the team attracts over thirty riders each year. From this pool, 10 to 15 riders are chosen to participate in the competitions. Decisions on who is chosen are made the week prior with the best riders generally filling spots. Competitions are divided, with Novice being the least competitive, ranging up to Open being the highest level of competition.
This allows a broad range of talent levels to participate and compete in regular shows. Events include the fence and flat divisions, with the flat competition being a technical show of control of the horse.
The top riders are chosen during the Zone finals to ride in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Nationals, which will be held this year from May 6-8 in Sunbury, Ohio.
Stewart, Estes and freshman Tessa LeCuyer all have advanced to compete in the Zone Finals Horse Show on April 9 at the Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Stewart and LeCuyer will compete in the Intermediate Fences and Flat and Estes will ride the Open Flat event. If they finish in the top two in their events, they will progress to Nationals in Ohio.
