After a fifth place finish in its final fall show at the University of Vermont on Saturday, Dartmouth's equestrian team has completed its fall season ranked No. 3 regionally. The fall shows help riders to score points which allow them to qualify for bigger shows in the spring.
At Vermont, the Big Green women finished fifth overall, with four first-place finishes and three second-place finishes. Katherine Lindzey '13 was the high-point rider out of the 120 competitors.
Since there were no rider limits, the full team was present to support the Big Green, Helena Witte '13 said.
"It was a lot of fun, but generally we have done better in shows," she said.
The University of New Hampshire and Vermont, finishing first and second in the region, respectively, are separated by just one point in the regional rankings.
"Overall, the show was more of a learning experience than a show to put us in contention for the region," co-captain Cristina Herren '12 said.
Unlike many of the schools it competes with, Dartmouth does not recruit riders. The team does boast, however, a strong crop of new riders, including transfer student Baljir Baatartogtokh '12 from Mongolia.
"I love horses and I grew up with them it's kind of the Mongolian thing to do," said Baatartogtokh, "A big part of being on the team was getting to know the girls as a transfer. You realize you have a lot of things in common."
Each show saddles riders with a new challenge, as they may have to mount a horse without knowing its temperament or style, Herren said.
"A lot of the horses we had never seen before, so we really went in blind," she said.
Judges have to take in account how well the rider does on the specific horse.
"It is not always the rider with the perfect round that wins, it is the rider that does the most with what they are given," Herren said.
The riders must be certain that their basic form is perfect, since their attention will automatically be diverted to the new horse during a show, Rochelle Brown '13 said. Although riders are permitted to adjust the stirrups when they get a horse, they cannot change the girth or even warm up, she said.
"Horses can buck you off they can be pretty wild," Baatartogtokh said. "It is kind of a metaphor for everyday life, and it's a great mental exercise."
Head coach Sally Batton was a major factor in the team's success this season, Witte said. Batton is also the director of riding at the College's Morton Farm.
"She's really great at getting you exactly where she wants you," Witte said.
The team clocks an average of 25 hours per week in practice at the barn while in season, Maatartogtokh said. If they can maintain that level of commitment, riders should be optimistic for continued success, according to several members of the team.
This spring, the team is looking to send at least a majority of its members to the regional show, Herren said. To qualify for regionals, a rider must score 35 points a feat which also moves the rider up to the next division. Points are earned by placing in shows and roll over from year to year.
So far, Herren, Liz Wilkerson '11 and Natalie Colaneri '12 have scored enough points to compete in the regional show, which will take place in late March.
Colaneri moved up a level this weekend at the final show. The rest of the team will have more chances to qualify in the several spring shows preceding the regional competition.
Important shows coming up this spring include the regional show in March at Mount Ida in Newton, Mass., and the All-Ivy show to be held at Dartmouth in April.
The first spring show will take place on March 6 in Lewiston, Maine, when the Big Green will face off against riders from Bates University, Bowdoin College and the University of New England.
