PrintThirty-two high school aged riders participated in the Collegiate Equestrian Talent Search (ETS) clinic at the Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center, Jan. 22-23. The weekend event began with a Friday night seminar for riders and parents which discussed the differences between IHSA and NCAA riding and recruiting. Clinicians outlined benefits and drawbacks of each association and worked on strategies for getting recruited. They also talked about collegiate dressage and high school riding opportunities.
On Saturday, riders were divided into IHSA class levels and each group rode a two-hour mounted clinic with CJ Law, Mount Holyoke Equestrian Director and Coach of the IHSA Equestrian Team, winners of multiple National Championships; and Jim Arrigon, longtime IHSA National Secretary and IHSA coach of four different teams and the only trainer who has coached both collegiate and high school national champion teams. Clinics focused on “catch riding” skills required to be a successful collegiate rider and stressed fundamental natural aids and communicative skills, along with athletic fitness and strength. Much of the clinic discussion centered around strategies for making an effective tryout ride, and each rider was given specific problem areas on which to concentrate and drills to help that effort. Clinic participants were made up of about 20% seniors, 60% juniors and 20% freshman and sophomores.
Sunday morning began with a course walk led by Coach Law, followed by horse show classes for each group in an IHSA show format. Johnson & Wales University Coach Dirk Fogg judged each group in an equitation on the flat class and then equitation over fences class. Riders were placed in each class like a regular IHSA show, while riders from different groups were arranged into teams for a team competition as well. Teams were required to name their teams and help each other prepare for their classes
Following the show, additional awards were given for Champion Riders in each group, and for Champion Teams. Coach Fogg spoke to the group with general comments, and then met with each individual student for comments and advice about their rides.
After the weekend, students received a report card with notes compiled from Arrigon’s and Law’s clinic notes, Fogg’s horse show notes and Arrigon’s suggestions on homework to improve each individual’s skills. When seniors show an interest in a particular college, their BIO forms and Report Cards will be sent to coaches of those teams along with a personal note from Arrigon.
Arrigon produces six such clinic weekends annually, twice in Virginia, twice at Mount Holyoke, in Philadelphia, and Columbus, Ohio. Future events are planned elsewhere, including Texas and California. Clinicians this year have included some of the top collegiate coaches in the country, including Law, Eddie Federwisch of Virginia Intermont College, Cory Kieschnick of Delaware Valley College, Ian McCartney of Sweet Briar College, Matt Arrigon from Lynchburg College, and many others.
Arrigon said, “Now that we’ve been doing these clinics for a few years, it’s fun that we’re starting to see many of our former ETS students showing up on most of the top IHSA and NCAA teams. Last week’s Tournament of Champions show included over two dozen former ETS students, riding for several different teams.”
