Have you ever wanted to be a horseback rider? Whether you are an experienced equestrian or new to the sport, you can find a place on the UBC Equestrian Team, a Thunderbird Sport Club. The team swept all six levels of competition in the US last weekend, putting the team on a strong trajectory for the season.
Thunderbird Sport Clubs (TSC) are sub-varsity teams for more niche sports at UBC. This grouping allows teams to compete at higher provincial, national and international levels. Their team of six student executives manages everything from fundraising to competition league registration.
The club's two co-leads, Isabella Bauman and Sierra Ducharme, are long-time riders that stumbled upon the team at Imagine Day a few years ago. Bauman has been riding for roughly 12 years, while Ducharme’s story is more complicated, “as it tends to be for a lot of [other riders]” she said. She rode between the ages of 10 to 14, and then on and off until she was 16.
But that’s not the case for every member.
“One of the really cool parts about our team is basically any experience can join,” said Ducharme. ”We have people who have been riding since they were born, and also people whose first time riding was at tryouts.”
Natalie Adler is the Equestrian team’s coach — and one of the TSC team co-founders — who came back to coach a new generation of riders. Most members train with Adler at least once a week at Riverside Equestrian Centre in Richmond.
Most recruiting for the yearly roster happens at Imagine Day. The executive members are the only official returning members, per TSC guidelines, so they roster around 15 members for 7 levels of competition at tryouts.
UBC riders compete through the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) in Zone 8, Region 4.
“UBC is the only Western University of the 7 Canadian Universities in the IHSA, which totals 419 teams across North America,” the team's UBC Recreation webpage entry reads.
Because of this, they go to the US for competitions and co-host a show each season.
Last year, they held a show with the University of Oregon in Eugene. “It was a triple, which means we did three shows in one weekend,” Bauman said. “[It] was super fun.”
This year, they are hosting a similar event with Washington State University.
Last season was one of the team’s best in history.
“One of our best competitions from the past season was the University of Oregon show that we co-hosted,” Bauman said.
One of the team’s main goals last year was to send as many people as possible to nationals. Four riders went to regionals, three to zones and two to nationals — a momentum the team wants to build off of for this season.
“That is a goal for this year as well. I would love to go to nationals,” Bauman said.
Another of the team’s unique aspects is that although equestrian is an expensive sport, they’ve worked to make it less so.
“I think ... competitions [are] way more accessible through something like UBC Equestrian because you don’t have to have your own horse to compete,” Bauman said. “It is also way more financially accessible because we do all our own fundraising.”
The team fundraises throughout the year and TSC matches everything they raise up to $1,000. TSC-specific grants are also available depending on how competitive the team is — for example, if the team goes to nationals, then they get a nationals grant. All funding beyond that they have to do themselves. You have probably passed them fundraising outside the Aquatic Centre, selling iconic Krispy Kreme donuts.
“[It is] a good way to fundraise with your team on a sunny Friday,” said Bauman.
At the end of the day, the team strives to create a balance between participating in a high level of sport and still enjoying themselves.
“The biggest thing we want to push with the team is that we are a competitive team, but we also just are girls and a few boys that want to have fun,” said Ducharme.
“A big part of our team is just becoming best friends with each other. Having that tight team and community with the connection of horses between all of us.”
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