The School of Accounting and Finance caught up with Laura, a current Equestrian Club member and Master of Accounting (MAcc) student to learn more about the Equestrian Club and its impact.
Did you know that the University of Waterloo has an Equestrian Club? It was founded in 2005 by Lisa Cahill and other equestrian enthusiasts and the main goal of the club is to have a student-run organization that promotes the sport through clinics, socials, and competitions. Although the club started small, the club has grown each year and is currently made up of 15-20 riders with various levels of show experience.
Tell us a little bit about you, and why you joined the Equestrian Club team?
I
completed
the
Accounting
and
Financial
Management
(AFM)
program
in
December
and
now,
I
am
a
student
in
the
Master
of
Accounting
program.
Horses
have
always
been
a
big
part
of
my
life
and
I
was
thrilled
to
find
out
that
the
University
of
Waterloo
had
an
Equestrian
Club
so
that
I
could
continue
to
ride
and
compete
while
at
university.
We
compete
in
catch-riding
based
hunter
equitation
classes
against
other
universities
and
colleges
in
Ontario
and
have
many
fun
events
together
as
a
team!
What kind of competitions do you compete in on the university circuit?
The
main
difference
between
competing
outside
of
school
and
at
university
is
that
we
get
assigned
a
random
horse
for
the
university
show
whereas
we
would
normally
spend
months
practicing
with
our
own
horse.
Because
it's
a
random
horse,
it
puts
everyone
on
an
even
playing
field
and
tests
our
ability
to
adapt.
It
is
judged
based
on
the
effectiveness
and
skill
of
the
rider.
How many horses does the team engage with?
One
of
the
most
common
questions
we
get
is
if
the
University
of
Waterloo
has
its
own
horses
–
and
the
answer
is
no!
The
team
takes
weekly
lessons
at
a
nearby
stable
which
has
many
different
horses
we
practice
on.
The
circuit
is
all
about
riding
different
horses,
each
of
which
has
their
own
unique
personalities
-
which
is
what
makes
it
so
challenging!
What has been your most memorable experience being on the Equestrian Club team?
My
most
memorable
experience
must
be
the
finals.
At
the
end
of
the
season,
all
the
teams
get
together
for
an
entire
weekend
of
shows.
It's
so
much
fun
to
spend
the
weekend
away
with
the
team
doing
what
we
love
and
finishing
off
with
year-end
awards
to
celebrate
each
other's
achievements.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
Even the small wins with horses are big ones but my greatest accomplishment is qualifying and winning the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.