Equestrians rejoice: Shippensburg University may soon have its own equestrian team.

SU is one of only three PASSHE schools without a club or team for those interested in horseback riding, and sophomore Amanda Trievel aims to change that. Trievel was motivated to start a team here at SU after growing up watching other collegiate equestrian teams train and compete.

“My trainer from back home is the coach for the Penn State Berks team and when I was in high school, I would always see them having so much fun,” Trievel said.

With encouragement from her trainer, Trievel set out to create a team here on campus.

Trievel is attempting to create the equestrian team as a club sport, although some larger schools do offer the sport at the NCAA level. University teams compete against each other through the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, which includes more than 8,300 students from more than 370 colleges from across the United States and Canada. These teams meet weekly for practice and regularly attend IHSA competitions hosted by the participating universities.

Trievel has had to go through a lengthy process in order for an equestrian team to become a reality at SU, and the work is not yet finished. In addition to contacting the IHSA about creating a team, she has to get it approved by Student Senate. The path to Senate approval involves filling out paperwork, finding a coach, finding a staff advisor and collecting signatures of prospective members before a decision is made. “I have a total of 22 signatures, but I heard there are still more people who are interested,” Trievel said. “I definitely got a lot more interest than I expected, which makes me happy!”

Even with all the support, there are some obstacles standing in the way of the team. “The most difficult part is trying to convince Student Senate it’s not a dangerous sport,” Trievel said. Like many other fast-paced sports, horseback riding does involve some risk. However, the IHSA has implemented rules, such as requiring certified protective headgear when mounted, to maximize safety at the competitions and during practices. Student Senate should vote on the fate of the team within a month.

Even though the future is uncertain, Trievel has already begun planning. “I’m hoping practices can start in the spring semester right away,” Trievel said. The competition schedule will depend on whether or not Student Senate provides the team with a budget, but Trievel hopes to compete once or twice a month.

While competitions and practices are a large component of the equestrian team, prospective members are also looking forward to meeting new people and making friends that share a common interest. There were 14 prospective members at the first general interest meeting last Wednesday, many of them strangers. “The most rewarding part of this is bringing together a group who all love to ride and want this to happen,” Trievel said.

For more information about the SU equestrian team, contact Amanda Trievel at at4136@ship.edu

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