Boston University junior Jessica Long is one of three IHSA riders who will represent the United States at the Student Riding Nations Cup competition October 8th, 9th and 10th in Hamburg, Germany.

IHSA RIDERS TO COMPETE IN STUDENT RIDING NATIONS CUP

When the University of Vermont hosts their show this Saturday, and when Boston University travels to North Smithfield, Rhode Island to compete in the Zone 1, Region 4 season opener at the same time, both schools will be without the services of one very good open rider. Though University of Vermont senior John Pigott and Boston University junior Jessica Long are unable to show IHSA at that time, both will be involved in riding competitions over 3,000 miles east. Along with University of Massachusetts at Amherst senior Amy Lowrey, Pigott and Long will be entered in the Student Riding Nations Cup, representing the United States versus a field of teams from at least fourteen other nations.

The competition, held in Hamburg, Germany, is rather different from traditional IHSA shows. "It's half Dressage and half Show Jumping," says Pigott. "All of this is at the open level. This is because the riders can be asked to perform at the Prix St. George Level for Dressage. The fences for jumping will be up to 4'6" (IHSA fences are 3'6" at Nationals-ed.)."

None of the three riders will be making their international debut. Long has shown as part of the team in Hannover, Germany and Normandy, France. Pigott competed in the Netherlands this past summer, finishing fifth in Dressage ("I finally placed" says the former Cacchione Cup winner). Lowrey undoubtedly has the most international experience.

"My first time riding in a SRNC event was in June of 2002," says Lowrey. "The director of the International Student Riding Association at the time happened to be at the barn where I rode (Coker Farm) and asked if I would be interested in competing for the US." Unlike Pigott and Long, who have shown in the preliminaries, Lowrey showed in the World University Equestrian Championships, which will be held December 3rd, 4th and 5th in Tokyo and which will include Long and Pigott this time around. "I competed in the World Championships held in Belgium in October 2002, so this year will be the second time I've been selected for the team. The World University Equestrian Games are held every two years and are run in a similar format to the World Equestrian games. I have competed in three SNRC events, one World Championship, and I helped organize the Student Riding Nations Cup that was held in New York at Coker Farm in June 2003."

The paths into the competition were very different for the other two. Pigott won a scholarship to compete as part of his 2003 IHSA Nationals Cacchione Cup Championship while Long was in the right place at the right time.

"I became involved with the ISRA (International Student Riding Association) program my freshman year," says Long, who rode against Pigott in the Cacchione Cup Competition in 2003 and placed eighth. "There was a girl that was supposed to be competing in France and she backed down at the last minute. With two weeks notice, I was asked to fill her spot and travel to France to compete."

The competition is loaded with camaraderie, perhaps fostered by the parties held in the evening each night of the event. "Every night there is a theme party," says Pigott, "And you get to meet tons of great people from around the world."

Lowrey explains that the team needs to do well to assure an early advantage in Tokyo later this year. "Winning in Hamburg this weekend will help the US Team accumulate points towards the annual President's Cup which is awarded to the nation with most points accumulated throughout the year. Doing well this weekend is also important for WUEC placing, as the number of points accumulated by each nation at the start of the WUEC determines which teams compete against each other in the first round of competition. Each competition also gives out various prizes to the winners of the competition. Both team and individual prizes are awarded."

Though all three will compete in Japan in December, the application process for the WUEC differs slightly. "For the World University Equestrian Games, all the interested riders were asked to make a video demonstrating a third level dressage test, as well as jumping a course of at least four feet," says Long. "Along with the video, the riders were asked to include two reccomendations and two short answer essays. About a month after I sent in my application I heard back from one of the ISRA organizers and she informed me of my acceptance on the team for Japan."

The Hamburg competition will be the last international event before the World University Equestrian Championship in Tokyo the first weekend in December. When asked if she thought she would do better in Dressage or Show Jumping, Long made it sound almost like the IHSA. "Between the horse that the rider draws, the competitors that the rider is faced against, and all the other aspects that constantly make horseback riding a humbling sport it is difficult to say where and when one rider will shine. However since all of my background in riding is in the showjumping ring I most likely will have a better chance to excel over fences then I will in the Dressage portion. But you never know what could happen."

(Following the competition, Pigott sent an e-mail to both IHSAinc.com and Campus Equestrian informing both of the fine U.S. outing. "The US team ended up 4th out of 16 teams," said Pigott. "Jessica Long and I made it to the semi-finals in show jumping where we ended up 5th and 6th individually out of 48 international riders, due to late rails falling on the course. Amy Lowery made it to the second round in dressage. It was a great trip and a perfect warm-up for Japan. The team looks strong!")

--Steve Maxwell