Intercollegiate Information

Dartmouth College Intercollegiate Equestrian Team

1) What are Intercollegiate Competitions like? Intercollegiate riding is different from most types of horse showing because you ride the hosting colleges' horses. Horses are chosen by the "luck of the draw" and riders don't get any warm-up time-it's mount up and go!

2) How many shows does the team compete in? The region that includes Dartmouth, Zone I, Region 2, usually holds five shows in the fall and two or three in the winter/spring. Dartmouth hosts two shows plus holds the Regional Championships. Shows are all-day affairs, with the vans leaving between 5 and 6 AM and returning to campus at 8 or 9 PM.

3) Are there costs involved? Because riding at Dartmouth is a varsity sport, all entry fees are covered. The only cost involves the cost of lessons at Dartmouth Riding Center as all team members are required to sign up for at least one lesson at the farm in the fall session (to enable team members to get in more riding time). Riders must also purchase (or borrow from teammates!) their own show clothes.

4) How often are practices? Once or twice / week in the evenings, depending on what level you are in. Team members are also required to do weight lifting and other workouts in sessions run by the team captains.

5) What levels are offered in intercollegiate competition? Levels are offered from Walk-Trot (for the beginner rider) to Open Flat and Fences (for the experienced rider) with three levels in between.

6) How do interested riders make the team? Try-outs are held in the beginning of the fall and spring terms. Since the team involves all levels of rider, it's not necessarily the "best" riders that make the team but the riders that fill in the available slots. Twenty-five riders make up the team and the team roster may change from fall to spring, depending on students being "off" for that term.

7) How do I find out about the team and try-outs? Check the listing for the riding team in the Dartmouth Bulletins under Dartmouth Riding Center. Also offered in the fall is an informational picnic at the farm for all new students- once again check the Dartmouth Bulletins.

8) Riding is so expensive, is there anyway that I can still be on the team if I cannot afford lessons and equipment? As of 2004, there is a fund for interested Dartmouth students. You can apply for money through the Helen Naylor Equestrian Fund by downloading this application.