Oregon State University student Hayley McGuire, co-captain of the school’s western team, talks about her 2010 IHSA experience.

Hayley McGuire represents the Oregon State University Beavers in IHSA competition.

Nestled in between mountains taller than 10,000 feet, lots of trees and the most rainy days per year of pretty much anywhere on earth, you can find Oregon State University.

Though perhaps less known than more established programs competing in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, the Oregon State University Beavers have been slowly making a name for themselves over the past 9 years. This year is the first year in program history that the hunt seat team has ever qualified for nationals, and we can proudly say that we are one of only three teams in the entire country to send both an English and a western team to nationals this season!

Our team of 13 riders, our coach and a small herd of parents made our way over from Oregon on May 3. The 2,400-mile distance brings a three-hour time change and a bunch of very jet lagged riders, but not even extreme exhaustion can stop a bunch of Cracker Barrel-deprived athletes from getting their fill!

On May 4, we were up with the sun and ready to drive to our lessons after a bit of pump-up music and van decorations. Hunt seat rode at Midway College Equestrian Center, and western rode with Bennie Sargent Quarter Horses.

While we all were a bit sore the next day, all of us came out feeling much better having been on the back of a horse after traveling.

May 7 marked the first day of competition and a boatload of nerves along with it. Though none of our riders placed in hunt seat classes, I am incredibly proud of each and every one of them. The first year competing at nationals is always a learning year for everyone, and it was wonderful to see the team get the chance to experience it!

As for western, coming in as the 2009 reserve national champion team, it is easy to have high expectations. We have been working hard, and it has paid off this season. We came out of semifinals in first place.

The team went in and rode exactly like we have been all season, but the outcome wasn’t the same. Personally speaking, I have never placed lower than a third at nationals, but this year, I came out with an eighth. That was one of the hardest things in the world for me – knowing that I wasn’t able to contribute any points to my team’s total. I had many parents and friends back home tell me that finishing eighth in the nation is something to be extremely proud of, but for every rider with a true competitor’s spirit, hearing your number called at the bottom of the class is heartbreaking. The team pulled it together, though, and we were able to come out with a respectable fourth-place team finish.

I do have to say that while this show was long and trying, I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the OSU equestrian team! This group of girls, coaches and parents makes shows like this so much easier to get through. The constant support and dedication kept us all going even when our emotions and exhaustion were butting heads.  Words cannot express how much my team means to me – something that I am extremely proud to share with the equine community!

Too often, we see individuals riding only for themselves in search of a prize, but our team works together and helps each other in order to reach our ultimate goal. Our coach Dawn (who volunteers all of the time she spends with the team, I might add!) has done an incredible job in teaching all of us to ride for each other and not just focus on ourselves. In a program as unique and exciting as IHSA, having a strong team to stand behind you is essential. While the ribbons may not have been the color we had hoped for, this season has been the most rewarding and exciting one so far.

Ride Hard. Get Dirty. Have Fun! OSU IHSA.