PrintGalloping around a jump course or navigating a dressage pattern under the nighttime lights in the huge International Arena during the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla., can feel a bit daunting for veteran riders.
For many of the 21 athletes who rode in the third annual WEF Collegiate Equitation Challenge on Feb. 10, simply being at this prestigious show was a first-time experience. Throw in the pressure of being the sole person chosen to represent your college’s varsity equestrian team at the event, and you end up with more than a few cases of butterflies.
But two particular riders managed to tame their nerves and trot out their “A” games to make it all the way through several elimination rounds and ultimately find themselves posing for photos in the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center’s iconic winner’s circle. Kimberly McCormack of the University of South Carolina captured the over-fences title, while Taylor Brown of Baylor University (Texas) nabbed the top spot in the flat phase.
“I rode in this arena last year in the hunter derby,” said McCormack, a junior from Clermont, N.J., “and had a really good time with it, so I was just trying to get back into that mentality—to just ride and trust my horses.”
The event began in the afternoon with the preliminary jumping rounds, which took place under very muddy conditions (caused by heavy morning rains) in one of the smaller WEF rings. Riders from 16 colleges competed head-to-head on eight horses loaned by professionals and other individuals.
Each athlete was matched with another rider (the result of a draw), with one horse assigned to each pair—and riders were granted four minutes to warm up, including no more than four jumps. The format was the same as the one used in regular National Collegiate Equestrian Association events, where the higher-scoring rider from each pair earns the point for her school.
In this special event, the winner of each pair advances to the next bracket—which, in the jumping phase, meant that McCormack rode four different horses on her way to a win on the 3’6” finals course. In that round, McCormack’s score of 87.5 topped the score of 85 for Lisa Goldman, a BU senior from Hawthorne Woods, Ill.
Afterward, a beaming McCormack stood by the arena in-gate, clutching her trophy as supporters and rivals alike showered her with congratulatory remarks.
“I had awesome horses, all the way through,” McCormack stated. “They were all top quality, and I really got lucky. Riding for your college makes it even more fun to come out here and represent more than just yourself.
“It definitely is a change from when you compete alone as a junior in the regular shows,” McCormack added, “and it’s a different kind of pressure, but it’s great when you can win for your school.”
USC Head Coach Boo Major was thrilled with McCormack’s victory.
“Kim did a great job,” Major declared. “We really had a lot of confidence in her to come down here and do a good job. So it’s just icing on the cake to have her win. Kim has a very calm demeanor when she rides. She’s very businesslike and gets the job done. She’s just a natural rider, extremely talented and gets along with just about any horse she gets on.”
“Top Of The Top”
