Newspapers / St. Andrews University Student … / Feb. 1, 2007, edition 1 / Page 6
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questrian “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” - Voltaire Febiijary Horse of the Month Commentary by Kaylin Young Bruce Lee 15.2 Hand Bay Connemara Thoroughbred program, and as a show horse for the intercollegiate teams. Although Bruce Lee was a little feisty when he first came, he has improved tremendously. Since arriving at St. Andrews, Bruce Lee has been a favorite among riders and has helped students improve their skills by riding assertively. Bruce Lee worked at a riding camp last summer and the children there loved him as well. Bruce Lee participates in IHSA shows and substitutes for Dressage shows. On the weekends, Bruce Lee can be foimd relaxing or working in the community lesson program. Bruce Lee being tacked up. Pic ture courtesy of Kaylin Yourtf. Bruce Lee came to St. Andrews last year from a family with a 10 year-old daughter. While Bruce Lee was a little strong for a younger child, he has served St. Andrews as a hunt seat horse within the lesson Editor’s Note Dear Readers, While St. Andrews Equestrian program is making tremendous strides to enhance oppurtunities for Equestrians, the recognition of accomplishments of Eques trians is crucial. Therefore, The Lance will be sponsoring an Equestrian of the Month. If any one has any recommendations of Equestrians that goes the distance to help the St. Andrews Equestri an program, please send an email to Heiderda@sapc.edu explain ing why that individual deserves to be Equestrian of the Month. Sincerely, Danielle Heider February Equestrian of the Month mm Gwen Titus performing at a Western Show, Picture courtesy of Rooney Coffman. Ip If you go to St. Andrews, you definitely know that there are plenty of people that ride horses around here. Often, in dinner conversations or in classes the topic comes up of whether or not riding is considered a sport. Other athletes claim that riders do not do any physical activity, claiming that we j ust sit up on our horses and look pretty and the horses are the real athletes. However, from personal experience, I know how much sweat, blood, and tears goes into every rider, the ups and downs of the sport, and the athleticism it takes to be able to control these horses while still smiling and looking pretty. The horses are real athletes. They have strong muscles that are built from their daily exercises; some jump fences higher than some people, and some do dressage moves that most humans could not execute. Horses are amazing animals; they are strong, loving, and for the most part, obedient. They work hard for their owners and riders, but they do not simply cart their riders around. Riders not only build strong bonds with the animals they ride, but they also build muscles and learn to execute courses and other maneuvers that can get quite tricky. Horses do not simply know where to go and what to do, their riders must tell them, through their legs, hands, and seat. These directions must be almost invisible to judges in order for a pair to win in the best of company. Instructors teach students the correct way to ask their horse for the movements they desire, explaining what each hand and leg must do in order to get the correct results. The riders must practice almost daily to achieve some top Why Riding Is A Sport Caroline Mitchell levels of riding and must really leam to be able to commimicate their desires to their horses. Once skills have been mastered, some riders choose to take their horses to competitions, which are found around the country. Each, one of them is trying to be the best of their division, and to improve on their skills so that they can move up to the next level. Top level riding takes years to accomplish, and many may never acquire this status. Have you ever heard the saying; “What goes up, must come down?” Most riders know this well. Falls are a natural occurrence in this sport, and are to be expected. Horses are unpredictable, and the rider must know the best way to convince the horse to cooperate, because they are much bigger than we are. Even after some of the most horrendous falls, I have seen riders still climb back into the saddle, and try again to get the horse to do what it is supposed to do. Equestrian sports are also an Olympic competition. All of the events in this group of competitions are sports, as they require the best of the best to come and show their skills. How can anyone claim that someone who rides in the Olympics is not a true athlete, but something more like a princess? We ride from sun up to sun down on some days, in the pouring rain on others, and in some of the most extreme temperatures, and we still manage to smile and look pretty while doing it! Western vs. English Alicia Toke I first started riding horses when I came to this school almost three years ago. My first time on a horse there was only Eng lish style of riding which was taught to all beginners. English, more specifically hunt English Riding. Picture courtesy of Communications. I Western Riding. Picture courtesy of RiM)ney Coffman. seat, has the rider sitting forward on the saddle and not being in the saddle, as much as Western. For the first two years I was here I rode English. English taught me a lot about being comfortable in the saddle and being able to balance myself, plus having a certain amount of control over the horse. This year I started riding horses in the Westem style. In this style of riding you sit more on the pockets of your jeans and sit all the gaits of the horse. Gaits of a horse are the speeds that he goes. Slowest to fastest, the gaits are a walk, jog, trot, lope, canter, and gallop. A westem rider sits all of those gaits and uses his/her body weight and legs to tel I the horse what the rider wants it to do. Going from English to Western was not too hard of a transition, except learn ing to sit everything. I feel more comfort able riding Western than I did when riding English. Westem saddles are more com fortable than English, partly because with the Westem saddle there is a horn you can hold on to, whereas in English there is not a hom to hold on to. Westem to me is bet ter because it is more relaxed than English. English is used mostly for sport, while Westem is more towards pleasure rides. English and Westem styles of riding teach you to tmst the horse and yourself There really is no better style, it is all in the Name: Gwen Titus Age: 21 Birthday: June 20, 1985 Hometowu:Littleton, CO Graduation Year; 2007 Major: Equine Business/ minor in Sports Management Discipline: English and Westem Years Riding: 9 years Recent Achievement: High Point Rider Both days at the SAPC Western Show What I have: Learned? My diagnols Loved? My fi'iends Loathed? Being thrown in the Lake My worst habit is: a. Eating junk food, especially b. Swearing c. Oo^sipin^ - .. d. Being late 'i -. , h e. Other If I’m not at the barn I’m: a. Hanging out with my fahnlnns frii»nri b. Sleeping c. Shopping Horray for «ihops! d. Doing homework e. Othpr tanning I won’t leave my dorm room without: a. My cell phone b. My iPod c. Half chaps> Never wear them at school d. Other Cnffef My favorite horse is: a. Woody b. Leggs c. Vem d. Other .fayy Favorite food in Saga: a. Chicken nuggets b. Pizza c. Salad d. Water You can never go wrong Most fond SAPC memory: Being attacked by the squirrel...Ail those parties When I graduate I hope to: Make millions Other extracurricular activities: Working out Shopping Watching my CO Buffs play tanning Eating Chicken Nuggets and Dr. Pepper Being a Goof ball preference of the person riding the horse and what they feel comfortable doing. I feel more comfortable riding Westem, but that was aftertryingto ride English. Before anyone decides to say one style is better than the other 1 strongly suggest you ride both to see which one feels more comfortable.
St. Andrews University Student Newspaper
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Feb. 1, 2007, edition 1
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