When many think of high school sports, they imagine a rush of football players running toward the end zone on a Friday night, volleyball players celebrating simultaneously when winning a match, or basketball players hyping up the stands following a layup. What they don’t think of typically is the equestrian team.
“This year, it was only one person, me. There isn’t really a big meeting spot for the school equestrian team. You just practice at your private barn and go to the show. Then you just go through your events, or classes, and then you get placed,” freshman equestrian team member Peyton Weston said.
Despite the currently minimal community, Weston has previously experienced a team that kept drawing her back in.
“There were a lot of lower classmen, like 6th graders, 7th graders. You just learn a lot more peer-to-peer. Sometimes your trainer is on the ground and they don’t see everything. Then your teammate will walk past you and [say], ‘oh, you got to fix this’. Constructive criticism, building each other up, [is helpful],” Weston said.
Additional pressure is also placed on Weston’s shoulders as she’s fairly new to the equestrian scene, only riding for a year. Weston mainly focuses on English, Western, and Speed riding.
“English is a lot more formal and you have to be more stuck up. Then with Western it’s more relaxed and just kind of call it what it is. Speed is any [seat] or any saddle, or anything that’s just really fast, like railroad racing,” Weston said.
Various types of pressure stem from any competitive environment, whether it’s from the school’s team or private barns. Junior Emma Howell-Leman’s case differs from Weston’s, as her mom is both her private equestrian and the school’s former team coach.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to do better because I know I do get a lot of opportunities that some other people don’t. It’s a lot of pressure. Like what if I don’t use these opportunities? I’m able to have [those opportunities] and so I should be utilizing it to the best of my ability,” Howell-Leman said.
However, Howell-Leman working hand in hand with her mom gives her access to resources some may not receive.
“My mom is trained in a pressure proofing class and it’s a lot about knowing what you are. What you feel about pressure versus how you should cope with it and how you should deal with it,” Howell-Leman said.
Weston not having these tools within the school team and riding solo has provided her with a strong character-building mindset which will benefit her in the future.
“Riding has built up her confidence quite a bit, not just while riding, but as a person as well,” Weston’s close friend, freshman Danity Favela, said.
Although riding on the school team has benefited Weston with a persevering mentality, the solidarity can be scary in competitive situations.
“There’s a lot more weight on my shoulders supporting the school. I [have seen] other teams, like Elk Rapids and Kingsley with six, seven people. It was a little more stressful and the setting is a little different. I just try not to get in my head too much, honestly,” Weston said.
