Since its revival in 2005, the Gustavus Equestrian Team has been going strong, working to create a welcoming place for anyone to come and share their love for horses. According to Senior Captain KaLeigh Berg, there are currently twelve competing members and nine non-competing members on the Gustavus team.

Berg is Co-Captains with Senior Katie Diederichs. The two have lead the team together since their sophomore year and are very open to new and inexperienced riders joining the team.

“There are actually quite a few members who have never ridden horses prior to coming to Gustavus and joining the team,” Diederichs said.

There are two different styles of riding that the members of the equestrian team compete in. The first style is hunt seat, which uses English style saddles and involves jumping. The second style is Western, which uses Western style saddle and involves reigning. Members of the team who practice hunt seat take lessons from a trainer in Mankato, while the riders who practice Western take lessons from Captain Berg on one of two local farms.

The members of the team who are experienced enough to compete ride against other universities in the Midwest region, including North Dakota  State University, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, St. Cloud State University, St. Olaf College, Carleton College, University of Wisconsin River Falls, University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, and Lakehead University in Canada.

In addition to encouraging inexperienced riders to participate on the team, members of the Gustavus Equestrian Team also don’t need their own horse to join. In fact, the majority of the members of the Gustavus Equestrian team don’t own horses. At competitions, horses are provided by the hosting school.

“A lot of what they’re judged on is horsemanship, so being able to take a horse that you’re not familiar with but still get that horse to perform,” Assistant Athletic Director Jared Phillips said.

“Riding all the different horses has really improved my ability to ride different horses and ride them well. It’s also really helped me to be able to coach our members,” Berg said.

Whether you’re an experienced rider or have never ridden before and are looking to try something new, the Gustavus Equestrian team is a fun and welcoming organization that is open to new members and is worth exploring.

-Katie Allen