Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Valentine’s Day with the IDA Team!

Written by Sarah Hartley for Equine Business Management Class.

This weekend was a very busy Valentine’s Day weekend for the St. Andrews Equestrian Program. Not only did the IHSA Hunter Seat Team have a phenomenal performance at home, but the Dressage Team also had a very successful day on the road. As a member of the Dressage Team, I was able to travel and compete with the team at Averett University in Danville, Virginia. While everyone was else was giving their horses lots of kisses for Valentine’s Day, we were braving the cold and bringing home lots of ribbons!

The St. Andrews B Team earned 3rd place in Saturday’s competition. The riders were Megan Pustarfi earning 6th in Upper Training with a score of 61.136%, Elizabethe Weeks earning 3rd in Lower Training with a score of 65.870%, and Kate Neidrick earning 1st place in Intro with a score of 68.125%. Not only did the B Team do a wonderful job, but the A Team and Dressage Seat Equitation Riders had a fun day as well.

In addition to getting a blue ribbon in the Intro division, Kate Neidrick also earned the position of Reserve High Point Rider for the day. This was a huge accomplishment for Kate, who just returned back to St. Andrews after a semester abroad in Brunnenburg, Italy. Kate shared her thoughts about her ride on Saturday, saying:

“Honestly, I had such a good ride I would not have cared what place the judge ranked me. I felt a connection between the horse and me and I was proud I could figure him out in 10 minutes. The win is a symbol of how many years of practice and patience I have dedicated to being a better rider and to finally see it pay off with a great ride and a fancy blue ribbon.”

The St. Andrews Dressage Coach, Jackie Dwelle, shared how proud she was of Kate, expressing that “She worked very hard her freshman year and has come back this spring with a greater understanding of what it takes to be successful in the dressage arena.”

Congratulations to Kate and the rest of the St. Andrews Dressage Team on a great weekend!


No comments:

Post a Comment