The Intercollegiate Format Suits John Pigott`s Style

When John Pigott won the Cacchione Cup at the IHSA Nationals in Murfreesboro, Tenn., in May 2003, his only complaint was that his team wasn`t there to share the victory with him.
This year he doesn`t want to go to Nationals unless he can bring the entire University of Vermont team with him. They missed qualifying by just 1 point last year, but with two shows remaining they`re in first place in their region.
Pigott wasn`t always so devoted to his team. In fact, when Pigott, 21, arrived at UVM in December 2001 after finishing his junior career with the USAEq Medal Finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show and the BET/USET Talent Search Finals, he had no intention of trying out for the equestrian team. Pigott, of Newport, R.I., had chosen the school for its strong animal science department and knew little about the riding program.
But a friend convinced him to go to the try-outs.
"I`d never seen the team aspect of riding before," said Pigott, who soon realized that he liked competing on a team. "For experienced riders, it`s really important to keep an open mind. I like it that everyone contributes."
About 30 students ride on the team, and they practice twice a week at Madeleine Austin`s Imajica Farm in Williston, Vt. Pigott is co-captain this year with Meaghan Blaikie.
At first Pigott was put off by the intercollegiate format of riding unfamiliar horses with no warm-up. "It was a tough change from the show circuit," he recalled.
Of course, Pigott had been showing for as long as he can remember. He began riding at the tender age of 6 when his mother, Dawn, introduced him to the sport, and he moved directly from short stirrup to juniors because he grew too quickly to ride the ponies.
"You could never keep him in a division because he was always looking at the next division," said Dawn. "If he`s not learning anything, he`s not happy."
During his deferred semester in the fall of 2001, he rode with hunter/jumper trainer Andre Dignelli and competed at the top indoor shows on borrowed horses. Pigott never had the money to buy a veteran equitation horse, so he had made do with his "jack-of-all-trades horse," Petrus. "He wasn`t fancy, but he always tried," Pigott recalled.
Riding with Dignelli marked a turning point in Pigott`s equestrian education. "Andre opened a whole new door to my riding," he said. "Andre teaches people how to win. He prepares you to excel."
Suddenly Pigott was able to ride eight to 10 horses a day. "He grew up when he went to Andre`s," said Dawn. Until then, "he didn`t have the chance to ride or jump at the heights those kids were."
And Petrus remained the only horse Pigott owned, which put him at a disadvantage on the show circuit. "It`s difficult to catch-ride and have a lot of success as a junior," explained Dignelli. But that weakness became a strength in intercollegiate competition.
Making The Transition
Competing in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, the lack of a fancy mount didn`t hold Pigott back since which horse you ride is a matter of the luck of the draw. "He`s more used to catch-riding than other college students with equitation backgrounds," said Dignelli. "He`s more familiar with imperfect horses than his competitors."