The Skyhawk equestrian team has brought its regular season to a close with victories over South Dakota State University on March 13 and Sacred Heart University on March 14. The Skyhaws have won seven of their last eight meets, recording only one loss since October 17. Next week, the team will learn whether or not it has been selected for its ninth consecutive NCEA championship berth. Members offered some reflections from this season as they prepare for the announcements.
Kenzie Perry, a junior from Columbus, Ohio, competes in the horsemanship portions of the meets. She feels that overall, the season has been a success citing team victories over a then-ranked Kansas State University, as well as a personal victory over a very tough opponent from the University of Georgia. With the recent news about the program drawing to a close, Kenzie said that it has been a source of encouragement in the competitive aspects though it does cause worries as they consider the future for their close-knit members. “We know that we cannot allow it to affect our competitions. Of course it comes to mind when we all think about what comes next for the people we’ve come to know as family, but once the time comes to compete, we have only one goal—to succeed,” Perry said.
While each member strives for success, Hunter Ralston, a senior from Hebron, Connecticut, and captain of the hunter discipline for the team, explained that the future of the program has added pressure to her duties as captain, but that she knew her teammates were fully capable of performing to the expectations of the program. “We have realized as a team that we have to go out with a bang. We are not ending without a fight and are still 100% committed until May 2016… We need to finish our time here on the highest note we can,” Ralston said.
Based on the successes of this past season and a hopeful recognition in NCEA championship yet again, it seems that Ralston and her fellow riders are certainly well on their way to doing just that. Despite the unfortunate ending of the program next year, these athletes are still dedicated to representing UTM proudly at every possible moment.
