Abbott rides Whisper, makes noise

Author: Emma Gardner

While the Middlebury Equestrian Club has not garnered quite as much media attention as the Quidditch team this year, the riding team has nonetheless seen a great level of success during its fall season and currently this spring. Adding a significant number of ribbons and accolades to the team's collection over the past four years has been Ptarmigan Abbott '08, assistant captain and star rider of the Equestrian Club. On March 15, Abbott earned the High Point award for Middlebury at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Equestrian Meet, attaining the most prestigious distinction in equestrian competition.

Since her arrival on campus in the fall of 2004, Abbott has brought a level of talent and expertise to the riding program that has consistently produced impressive results. In her sophomore year, she became the first recipient of the High Point award in the history of Middlebury's Equestrian Club. After studying abroad last year, she returned to campus this fall to captain the team and now holds the only two High Point awards in the program.

The Middlebury Equestrian Club operates somewhat differently than other athletic programs at the College. Riders of all capabilities are encouraged to participate in weekly lessons at a stable in New Haven, about 15 minutes outside of Middlebury. There riders range in experience from those who have never seen a horse before to those who were raised on equestrian competition. Seasoned athletes train alongside beginners in an environment that remains at once relaxed and focused, but is "very different from what I grew up with," according to Abbott.

Working alongside coach Kate Selby, the riders who are registered with the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) compete in both the fall and spring seasons. While 20 students are currently enrolled in the program, only seven are members of the IHSA and attend shows, at which they compete in divisions according to skill level. At the culmination of each event, individual points are tallied and team totals ranked. Though Middlebury's equestrian team rarely produces enough riders to fill each spot in each division, Abbott and her teammates have in the past managed to overcome the size of the program to achieve high standings in overall school rankings. At the UNH meet, for example, Middlebury "only had four people, but we ended up doing really well," said Abbott.

On the morning of March 15, Abbott prepared to learn the names of the horses she would ride later that day. Instead of accompanying their own horses to events, riders are assigned horses through a random draw.

"You never know what you're going to get," said Abbot, as a horse may be particularly temperamental.

For Abbott, size has often proven an issue in the past. "I'm one of the smallest riders on the team, but for some reason, I always draw the biggest horses," she noted. Competing in both the jumping class and flat class events, Abbott drew horses Whisper and Lefty. "I was the last one to ride Whisper, so I'd watched her with other riders and she had refused a fence with each one of them," said Abbott. "Needless to say, I was not that excited about getting on her, thinking she was a bad draw."

After completing one practice circle with Whisper, Abbott began the course. Riding from jump to jump, she guided her horse flawlessly through the course, mastering the previously unruly Whisper to finish first in her division.

Thrilled with this initial success, Abbott moved onto her flat class event with anticipation. "I was definitely nervous before my flat class as I knew I had placed first in jumping and had a shot at High Point, especially since I had drawn a good horse for flat," said Abbott. Once again, Abbott proved her outstanding ability as she completed various trot and canter exercises in front of a panel of judges. After earning the top score in her class, she learned that she had won the High Point distinction for the second time in her career.

For Abbott, the most rewarding aspect of riding is not the accumulation of ribbons (of which she has many), but rather the experience of working so closely with another animal. "It's really cool to be able to get to know a horse really well, and both of you can progress together a lot, which is great," she said. Though she graduates in May, Abbott's achievements will have made a mark on the Middlebury riding program that will assuredly last long after she leaves campus. The one who will miss her most? Her horse, Dan.