Intense first two weeks of competition to determine regional qualifiers.
Notre Dame sophomore Olivia Urban and horse Pandora compete in the flag race at an equestrian practice show in August.
Though the riders will have to wake up around 6 a.m. on Saturday after a busy week at school, it’s usually not until after 11 p.m. the night before when the kids get to sleep in their on-site RVs.
“After arriving with their horses on Friday around 5 p.m., the team spends hours setting up, practicing, and taking care of their horses as they squeeze in a few bites of dinner," said equestrian assistant coach and NDP alum Theresa Schmid ('13). “After the competition concludes, they’ll leave late Sunday, complete another full week of school before coming out again on Friday to compete on September 16, when they’ll find out if they qualify for regionals.”
Luckily, the team is well prepared for such a grueling schedule.
Against popular perception, equestrian head coach Stephanie Bean said, horseback riding is not a casual, seasonal sport. “Each rider works with her horse year-round to keep both of them in shape and to improve their skills,” she said. “Our riders from last year and new team members actually met with the coaches at the end of the last school year to begin planning for this season. And over the summer, besides holding practices at my barn in Lapeer, a group of NDP riders attended a ‘practice show,’ or scrimmage, against a number of other local teams.”
Schmid said one reason for all of the practice time is the diversity of the competition. She said each meet consists of seventeen different events, which include showmanship, saddle seat, hunt seat, western, bareback, trail and speed.
“Competitive teams should have at least one rider in each event so they can use their maximum number of overall entries,” Schmid said. “But typically when a rider joins, she is only familiar with a few of the events at the meets. So each rider spends the summer — and ideally the whole year — learning new events in which she can compete for the team.”
Perhaps atypical for this level of competition, as a group, Notre Dame’s riders are well-versed in a diversity of skills and events.
One of the team captains, senior Jane Gemellaro, competes in jumping, which involves clearing 4’2” fences in the fastest time possible. The other team captain, senior Sophia Shick, competes in the Arabian Horse Association category in saddle seat, hunt seat, and western events. Senior Riley Simmonds competes in western horsemanship; sophomore Maegan Fitzgerald participates in hunter- and equitation-over-fences events, which focus on finesse rather than jumping height and speed.
Notre Dame sophomore Olivia Urban races in speed and western events, freshman Kendall Lance focuses on showmanship and western events and freshman Cara DeFelice competes in equitation-over-fences with the IEA, the nationwide pre-college competitive organization.
Schmid noted that each rider comes in with unique skillsets, and the coaches work hard to expand their comfort zones safely and competently. She also said that the longer a rider is with the team, the more their list of events grows.
Team captain and senior Jane Gemellaro recalled that as a freshman, she started out in all English (hunt seat) events. “Now, as a senior, I’m in western events, with a possibility of one or two English events,” she said.
Gemellaro has taken many lessons from the team’s coaches in addition to her own trainer through the years, and has tried a few new things each year to get to her final year with a new speed horse.
“Although western isn’t my main style of riding, it’s a really great way to improve my riding skills and make me a more well-rounded equestrian,” she said. “As a team captain and fourth-year rider, I go where I’m needed, which is a really nice feeling.”
At seven riders, this year’s team will be in the B team category, which limits the number of riders to a minimum five and maximum 10. For Notre Dame, it’s the largest the team has been since 2009. And even though it’s a niche sport compered to other high school athletics, having a team at Notre Dame Prep means a great deal to the students who participate.
“I started equestrian team back in freshman year because it was the first opportunity to do something I love and still be part of a school activity,” said senior and team captain Sophia Shick. “There were friendships that I made through the team that I would’ve never made outside the equestrian world. It has definitely expanded my horizon on who I would consider to be ’horse people’ and it has taught me a lot about horsemanship as a rider. Overall, joining the equestrian team has really offered me a completely new perspective toward something I’ve loved all my life.”
The Irish will be competing September 9, 10, and 16 at the Armada Fairgrounds (74280 Fair St. in Armada) from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come out to show their support, as well as to watch and learn more about such a fascinating sport.
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.
Follow Notre Dame on Twitter at @NDPMA.
About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.