Healing Hooves 2012 Wins An Award

…And raises a little under $11,000 too!

The IHSA National Service Project Award cup that will be coming home with the team from nationals in Raleigh, NC. Image courtesy of Karli Postel ’13

Healing Hooves 2012, a fundraising initiative hosted by the equestrian team at Goucher College was nominated for and won the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association‘s (otherwise known as IHSA) National Service Project Award this May 5th at the IHSA National Championships in Raleigh, NC. To learn more about the event, please listen to the informative podcast below!

 

Editor’s Note: Though not mentioned in the podcast, the theme for this year’s event was ‘Beatlemania’ and the band playing is a local Beatle cover group named ‘Saving Sargent’.

Zone Champions; Goucher Gallops To Nationals

In the April 7th Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone 4 Championships (the equivalent of conference championships for equestrian), the Goucher College equestrian team finished first with 45 points overall ahead of St. Andrews’ 43 points, Bridgewater’s 34 points, and University of Delaware’s 30 points.

The full 2011-2012 Equestrian Team. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Kellogg.

IHSA Zone 4 Championships; GO GCET!

Tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM, the  members of the Goucher Equestrian team will head down to the college stables to prepare for a varsity horse show, just as they always have. But tomorrow, it’s not ‘just another horse show’: the team will be facing the top riders of their conference.

Making a bid for nationals, selected riders will represent the team as a whole as the official ‘zone’ team. Several individuals who have qualified for this event will also represent their college as individuals.

Goucher will be facing off against Bridgewater College, St. Andrews University, and University of Delaware as a team, but those riding as individuals will also face tough competition from other individuals from schools in the region like Sweet Briar College, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University.

The competition will begin at 10 AM, and will be held at the Goucher College stables (this link will take you to a campus map)

Click ‘Continue Reading’ to view to Goucher College lineup for tomorrow’s competition!

Goucher Equestrian Takes To The Airwaves!

On this past Sunday March 26th,my fellow tri-captain (Goucher’s Equestrian Team has 3 team captains!) Karli Postel ’13 and I joined in the evening broadcast of INSIGHT ON disABILITY at the WCBM AM 680 radio station in Pikesville, MD. We pitched the Goucher Equestrian Team‘s Healing Hooves 2012 event alongside host Michael Gerlach, and charismatic co-hosts Brent Tarring and Harry Cook. Having never been on the radio before, we were naturally incredibly nervous, but anxious to get started.

Image courtesy of Michael Gerlach.

I have never tuned into AM 680 before, as I tend to habitually listen to CDs and mixtapes instead of the radio when I drive, but after this experience I think I have found a new station to tune into! Michael, Brent, and Harry as well as the entire staff at WCBM were incredibly respectful and Karli and I were honored to get a chance to join the show!

Image courtesy of Michael Gerlach

To hear the full program, click the link below!

goucher-equestrian-on-insight

Save The Date!

Hello! Anyone following this blog might remember me mentioning that there there is a major fundraiser coming up in April. Well, Goucher Unbridled would like to encourage all of its Maryland-based readers to save to date! Click the following image below for more information! Thanks!

Equitation: What People Think I Do

In the wake of the highly popular meme trend of “what ___ thinks I do” images that have been appearing across the internet, I decided to write my own opinion piece of what non-horse people think I do. To provide an example of what I mean, here is an example of one of those images:

Image courtesy of Horse Forum.com

Equestrian Sports And Safety: Concerns For Future Olympics

As equestrian Olympians prepare for the London 2012 games, there has been some concern over the safety of the sport and whether or not it should be retained as a summer sport in the olympic games after London. In recent remarks made by International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Princess Haya, “Anyone who thinks equestrian sports are secure for London is mistaken”(reference). Haya goes on to say that due to low-interest in the dressage discipline, show jumping may also be in jeopardy, as it is highly unlikely that show jumping would be allowed to remain as a standalone equestrian sport in the olympic games. Because cross country requires so much space and very specific location requirements, it too could be in jeopardy.

Sad but true: we may never see legends like Steffen Peters and Ravel at olympic tournaments if what Haya is saying is true. Image courtesy of La Times

Watch Highlights From The Goucher Equestrian Team’s Latest Competition at University Of Mary Washington!

The Goucher Equestrian team, undefeated and going strong has now created a channel on YouTube where you can see highlights from individual IHSA classes! Here are some of the highlights from this past horse show: (click continue reading to see more)

Goucher Equestrian Team’s “Healing Hooves 2012” Event Website Goes Live!

Healing Hooves 2012's new logo, courtesy of Tina Gong.

Today, the Goucher Equestrian Team launched a new web initiative for their annual fundraising event ‘Healing Hooves 2012′. The event, which in the past has only been a one-day fundraising initiative transcended its boundaries by offering an online donation method for interested patrons who cannot make it to the official event. Founded as an International Scholars Program project by students Charlotte Kellogg ’12 and Randi Turner ’12, the first official event took place on April 24, 2010 with the aid of 20 volunteers, nine local therapeutic riding programs, and a total of 150 participants. Last year’s event, Healing Hooves 2011 successfully raised just under $2,000 for three local therapeutic centers. It also featured live music and a brand-new ‘no tack’ (no equipment including bridle or saddle) demonstration by Karli Postel ’13 aboard Goucher College’s horse Ghandi. Traditionally, the event has featured a family-friendly fair including riding demonstrations, face painting, grooming stations and other activities to help entertain any children of alumna/alumni attending the event. This year’s event will take place on April 28th from 1 PM until 4 PM at Goucher College’s Equestrian Center.

CrackerJack

“Crackers”

Breed: German Holsteiner

Age: 17

About Crackers: Crackers, although not an ‘official’ Goucher College horse has represented Goucher at the American National Riding Commision for three years in a row as both a 3′ and 2’6″ competition horse. Crackers is Goucher’s resident goofball and is extremely talented at bucking, jumping large jumps, and making puppy eyes. CrackerJack was born in Germany and came to the United States when he was roughly 3 or 4 years old, where he was initially trained as a dressage horse. However, because of his ‘unique’ walk (resembles a camel’s walk) it was decided he would be much happier as a jumping horse. Before meeting his current owner Charlotte, Crackers competed in Florida, Massachusetts, and is even rumored to have been used in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association for a brief time. CrackerJack enjoys meeting new people, jumping anything and everything, and eating. CrackerJack is rumored to have once smacked his head on a water pipe as a colt, resulting in the ‘crack’ over his left eye, and is well known to most riders at Goucher for his impressive ‘bucking’, or kicking-motion when he gets too excited. Crackers vacations at Duncraven Stables in Titusville, NJ and is best friends with his unofficial “twin” Earthquake, a very large Goucher College horse. Crackers will be returning to Goucher College soon in hopes of representing Goucher a fourth time at ANRC, and will be rejoining barn mates Earthquake, Empire, Calypso, and Ghandi.

Likes: Carrots, Apples,Fruit Cups, Bananas, Melons, Oranges, Italian Ice, Pizza, Gatorade, Nerds, Twizzlers, Molasses, Peppermints, Jolly Ranchers,…and small children

Dislikes: Water, Baths, Bicycles, Motorcycles, Balloons, Umbrellas, Hipsters, Moustaches.