UMBC’s equestrian club recently attended the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association show at Frying Park, VA. hosted by George Washington and George Mason University. Over the weekend of of Nov. 5 and 6, the Retrievers improved on Saturday going into Sunday, doing better as a team as the weekend progressed.
Two riders placed in the novice division, while another rider moved from Beginner to Advanced for walk, trot, and canter.
The team spends most of their time together at the horse shows to get closer over the year. “There’s a lot of team bonding, we all die at the gym together,” president junior Zoe Fritz said about the team’s cohesive time together.
UMBC’s equestrian club has made its way through the majority of their six shows this semester, and have come together to grow in order to get ready for regionals in the spring semester. To do this, the riders have to place out of their current division at a show, so one Retriever is currently ready to go to regionals coming up, with two more riders hoping to cover the point gap to be able to attend the final show for UMBC at Goucher on March 19.
Before a show, the Retrievers often get too caught up in the seriousness of the show and become stubbornly intent on it. The team unity comes together to help this trend by the self-described group motto: “Sparkle, baby!” When asked about the group motto, the team could only laugh and smile about it because the friendship and loyalty that brought the group together, also keeps them together.
UMBC’s equestrian club is a small team, but a tight knit group that has built its growth through friendship and comradery. Despite being a tight-knit group, the team is always looking out for new members. For the Retriever girls, the social connections they have developed is the greatest part of the club. This togertheness is sure to get more of the Retrievers to have success in the spring shows, and to continue the success at regionals in the year to come.
