Not Just Horsing Around
Over the weekend of Oct. 10-11, four Sage Hill girls braved the heat to compete in the Orange County Interscholastic Equestrian League’s season opener. Led by senior co-captains Amy Knox and Mara Chemerinsky, the girls won a multitude of ribbons and awards; they also beat St. Margaret’s in almost every class they entered.
“I am excited for a great year with a great team! Despite our small size we are always able to beat larger teams and achieve year-end awards. I am excited to see if we can maintain our title this year,” Knox said.
New team members sophomore Eve Etchegoyen and freshman Charlotte Zovighian helped team rankings with high ribbons as well.
“Normally riding is an individual sport; however, being a part of the equestrian team turns this individual sport into a team one. It’s so much fun being able to compete with your classmates and earn points for your school along with doing what you love. It brings together students from different grades and is an awesome way to meet people who are interested in the same things as you,” Knox said.
Sophomore Tiffany Chen was unable to compete in this show, but she is excited to compete with Sage at the upcoming horse shows.
“I’m looking forward to representing Sage at competitions and getting to know my teammates a little better. My favorite part about being on the team is having a group where everyone has the same interest,” Chen said.
However, like any sport, the team has its challenges.
“The hardest part about being on the equestrian team is that it is a huge commitment. The girls on the team compete and practice all year and there is no real “season” for riding. During the the IEL show season we are at the show by 7 a.m. and we normally stay until about 4 or 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. The good thing is we are really close and we are able to help each other with homework and things like that in between classes,” said Knox.
The team looks to continue its success at the next competition, which is Nov. 7-8 in San Juan Capistrano.
