Advice For Riders Vying To Be On A College Equestrian Team

We asked University of South Carolina assistant equestrian coach, Kristen Terebesi to share advice for young riders who want to make it on a college team

Here’s a summary of what she said:

Get Experience

• Ride as many different horses as you can (the good, the bad and the ugly)

Keep In Touch

• Send video links of your riding
• Fill out appropriate forms
• Be honest about the experiences you’ve had
• Be open to watching your competitors and understand the caliber that’s out there

What Horses Will I Ride?

• The National Collegiate Equestrian Association tests five riders from each team in head-to-head competitions.
• Five horses are selected for each event.
• Each rider is paired with one of the five horses in a random draw before the competition.
• She is able to watch the horse warm up and receives four minutes to practice on her assigned mount before competing.
• Riders from opposing teams compete on the same horse in the head-to-head competition.
• Each rider receives a score and the rider with the highest score receives one point for her team.

Learn More Here

Other Attributes

• A focus on mentorship
• Brave, willing and resilient personality
• Focus on horsemanship

Next Steps

• Sign up with NCAA Eligibility Center
• Update your bio, videos etc.