Somehow, Schoolwork Doesn't Slow Them Down

Intercollegiate Horse Show Association riders know the value of balance and time management. Whether they're juggling multiple sports teams and school commitments or representing their school at the NCAA leadership conference, some IHSA riders go above and beyond to become an example to their fellow teammates.

The coaches at Smith College (Mass.), West Virginia University, Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.), and Centenary College (N.J.) each believe that they have a rider who exemplifies the spirit of the IHSA.

Smith College senior Jessica Willis is a leader not only for her team, but also for her school. Willis represented Smith last year at the NCAA National Leadership Conference. She was one of only 325 athletes to attend the conference, and she was the only equestrian athlete there.

"She leads by example," said coach Suzanne Payne simply.

Willis started taking riding lessons once a week when she was 12 and got her first pony in the eighth grade. She showed regularly until the summer of 2000, when a fire at the barn where she boarded her two horses killed them both. She said the experience made her question whether to pursue the sport further, but she continued because she loved it. Unfor-tunately, Willis had another setback when a young horse she'd bought died last year.

"I haven't had the greatest luck with horses," she said.

But Willis' luck with the IHSA has been much better. She was Zone 1 intermediate over fences champion and placed third nationally as a sophomore. Willis, who's been captain of the Smith team for the past two years, said the IHSA has been a real opportunity for her to expand her skills.

"I don't know what I would have done in college if I didn't ride," she said.

Willis rides six days per week, and she said that the experience has helped her develop the finer points of her equitation. She credits Payne for helping her to become a better rider. Payne said Willis is one of the more dedicated students she has had.

"I'm going to miss her terribly," Payne said.

Willis also is supportive of her teammates. She said that the Smith team members have always been there for each other.

"I definitely want to make sure my teammates make the most of their student-athlete experience," Willis said.

That student-athlete experience has been such an important part of Willis' life that the economics and Spanish major is applying to graduate school for sports management. She's also an accomplished cellist, playing with the Smith College Orchestra, which is performing at New York's famous Carnegie Hall in May. Willis, who in four years only missed one horse show (because of a graduate school interview), said she hopes to always keep horses in
her life.

"If I have to ride Western to stay involved with horses, I will," she said.

First Year On The Team

Kayla Fisher, a West Virginia University sophomore, hasn't yet completed her first year of intercollegiate competition, but her dedication inspires other team members to do their best, said WVU coach Michele Koury.

Fisher, from Oley, Pa., transferred to WVU last fall after attending Delaware Valley College (Pa.). She started riding when she was 7.

Fisher said that when she got to WVU, she wanted to get involved on campus, so she joined the equestrian team and the crew team.