First-year AFM student, Delaney shares her experience preparing for competitions as a part of UWaterloo’s Equestrian Club.
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.
The School of Accounting and Finance caught up with Delaney, a current Equestrian Club member and first-year Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) student to learn what it’s like to ride competitively and how students can get involved and pursue the equestrian sport at Waterloo.
"You are never a perfect rider, you always have something to learn, no matter how talented or experienced you are.” – Delaney, AFM student
Tell
us
a
little
bit
about
you,
and
how
and
why
you
joined
the
Equestrian
Club.
I'm a first-year AFM student from a small town outside of Ottawa. I have loved horses and the equestrian sport ever since I was five years old and was first allowed to take lessons. I have been competing competitively for over 10 years and it has become a major part of my identity. When I first came to the University of Waterloo, I was worried that I would have to sacrifice my passion to continue my education. However, joining the Equestrian Club team allowed me to continue pursuing my passion as well as my education without having to sacrifice either. I was able to work with an amazing group of UWaterloo students to compete in cross-university competitions.
What
kind
of
competitions
do
you
compete
in?
I
have
been
riding
in
the
hunter
jumper
discipline
throughout
my
career.
I
started
training
in
hunters
when
I
was
eight
years
old
and
transitioned
to
jumpers
when
I
turned
fourteen.
In
2019,
I
was
the
overall
1-meter
jumper
champion
at
the
Ontario
Provincial
Championships.
Most
recently
in
my
career,
I
helped
transition
horses
into
the
jumper
ring
and
did
some
catch
riding.
My
coaches
always
put
a
lot
of
focus
on
my
equitation
which
has
allowed
me
to
easily
transition
into
the
equitation
style
competitions
on
the
university
circuit.
What do you love most about riding and why do you think others would too?
What
I
love
about
being
an
equestrian
is
not
only
the
supportive
team
that
builds
up
around
you
but
also
the
sense
of
constant
improvement
with
the
opportunity
to
continue
learning.
I
would
encourage
other
students
to
try
this
sport
to
challenge
themselves
physically
and
mentally
while
creating
a
family
of
similarly
minded
students.
We
have
a
saying
that
you
are
never
a
perfect
rider,
you
always
have
something
to
learn,
no
matter
how
talented
or
experienced
you
are.
What is your pre-competition routine like?
My
pre-competition
routine
starts
the
night
before
the
competition.
I
walk
to
the
cafeteria
with
my
friends
to
pick
up
some
snacks
for
the
competition
the
next
day.
I
make
sure
to
be
in
bed
very
early
so
that
I
have
enough
energy
the
next
morning.
In
the
morning,
I
pack
up
my
riding
gear
and
put
on
my
UWaterloo
merch
and
riding
clothes.
I
make
sure
to
eat
a
good
breakfast
and
put
on
my
lucky
bracelet
before
leaving
for
my
carpool.
I
drive
to
the
competition
with
other
team
members
while
we
pump
ourselves
up
for
the
competition.
Once
we’ve
reached
the
competition,
we
stretch
and
get
ready
to
cheer
on
other
team
members.
Where, when, and how can a student get involved?
The first step to getting connected and staying updated with the UWaterloo equestrian team is to follow our team on Instagram @uwaterlooeq, check out our website or email us at uwaterlooeq@gmail.com. To join the team, make sure to submit an application in the fall for an opportunity to try-out for the team. After try outs are complete, an email introducing the new team will be sent out and our Instagram page will be updated. After the application and try out process, the team will get ready for the first competition!