Dexter Equestrian Team Wraps Up 2012 Season

By Shannon Verbal

The Dexter High School equestrian team finished its final meet of the season on Sept. 23.

The beauty of the equestrian team is that once you become a member of the family, you will forever be in each others’ hearts in sisterhood, since we have all girls at the moment. Guys are just as welcome to join the team. 

What means the most to me as a coach is you build a working relationship of teacher-student, that evolves into us becoming surrogate parents, sisters, and mentors. I think of each student begins like a little rosebud that blossom into beautiful horse riders.

Mastering the art of riding is much more tricky than the general public acknowledges. Some of our kids have been riding before they could walk, some may have picked it up later on in life. The important thing about our team is the tie that binds us, which is the friendships that last long beyond equestrian team season.

Many kids ride other horse show circuits, which keep them honed in order to win at the team meets. The attitude we stress the most in the equestrian team is a spirit of teamwork and sportsmanship.

Equestrian team is a lot of work involving several coaches, wonderful parents, great kids and equally great horses. Between us all we work it like a well-oiled machine. Needless to say, we do have challenges that when we approach them as a team, are easier to rise above.

This year we are going to say goodbye to five seniors who have all developed into fantastic young horsewomen that we will sincerely miss. They are: Rylie Damm, Allison Rochowiak, Emily Gordon, Emma Miller and Sam Bies.

Without their leadership this team would not be able to operate effectively. Parents are allowed to help out at the team events, but the older kids are often found helping the younger students get ready for classes, and especially when quick changes are in order between classes and even mucking out stalls together.

The loyalty the young women have toward each other and the team is really what makes our jobs as coaches worth volunteering for again each year.