As the winter ends and eventing comes back into full swing along, Anna Fogerty of the Clemson Eventing Team kindly offered this recap of their accomplishments during the Fall 2016 semester! 

Team members Sarah Pyne, Anna Fogerty, Alex Peterson, and Samantha Hay after wining reserve champion at the Intercollegiate Championship held at the Virginia Horse Park. Photo courtesy of Clemson Eventing Team.

The Clemson Eventing Team had a busy semester beginning with an Intercollegiate Allison Springer Clinic held at Full Gallop Farm in September. The clinic was both show jumping and cross country and consisted of riders from the Beginner Novice through Intermediate levels.

The Clemson team aims to have a weekend-long clinic in Aiken each Fall semester so that all of the members have the chance to ride at a farm outside the Clemson area. Good thing Aiken, Sc. is close by with so many wonderful clinicians!

Clinician Allison Springer pictured with members Julia Gates, Anna Fogerty, Molly Micou and Kaitlyn Bardos on Full Gallop Farm’s cross country course. Photo courtesy of Clemson Eventing Team.

Team member April Crawford and her mare Lucy tackling one of the show jumping exercises at the Allison Springer Clinic. Photo courtesy of Clemson Eventing Team.

Then in October, the Clemson Eventing Team hosted its semi-annual CIET Combined Training Schooling Show, held at Stoneridge Equestrian Center located in Liberty, SC. The show offers jumper, dressage, and combined test classes to equestrians in the surrounding Clemson area.

The team strives to be an asset to improve the equestrian community in South Carolina. This is one of the ways that allows the team to connect with riders of every age group from different farms.

One of the beautiful horse and rider pairs who came to participate in the CIET Schooling Show held at Stoneridge Equestrian Center. Photo courtesy of Clemson Eventing Team.

Also during October the team had one of our favorite clinicians, Bonnie Mosser, return for a show jumping clinic held at Buffamoyer Farm in Pendleton, SC. Bonnie has been a member of the USET High Performance Development Squad on six separate occasions and has represented the United States as the alternate rider for the 2006 World Equestrian Games, the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2008 Olympics.

We have had her come to teach the team multiple times over the past few years and the team members loved having her back for some challenging and thought-provoking show jump exercises.

Team member Karla Diviesti and her mare Kalypso at the Bonnie Mosser Clinic. Photo courtesy of Clemson Eventing Team.

Team member Catherine Denaux and her mare Hope at the Bonnie Mosser Clinic. Photo courtesy of Clemson Eventing Team.

At the very end of October the Clemson Eventing Team sent two teams consisting of six riders and seven horses to the Chattahoochee Hills Team Trial held in Fairburn, GA. The girls had a wonderful weekend full of personal accomplishments and excitement in the college eventing world.

Out of the 12 college teams competing at the event the Clemson teams placed second and sixth. Also out of 45 collegiate riders, member Samantha Hay placed first and not far behind her rider Sarah Pyne placed third.

Riders Ally Ault, Samantha Hay, Molly Micou and Sarah Pyne posing for a picture after the awards ceremony at Chattahoochee Hills Team Trial with Linda Limeri holding the Clemson banner. Photo courtesy of Clemson Eventing Team.

Team members Erica Wind, Molly Micou, and Linda Limeri helping hold horses as the other riders prepare for show jumping. Photo courtesy of Clemson Eventing Team.

Riders Sarah Pyne and Samantha Hay are all smiles after placing in both the collegiate team challenge and individual collegiate rider challenge. Photo courtesy of Clemson Eventing Team.

Looking forward the Clemson Team has big plans for the Spring 2017 semester. They have already scheduled dressage clinics with clinicians Laurens Bissell and Jodi Lees. They are also looking forward to sending many participants to the FENCE Intercollegiate Team Trial that will be held in April. Also, they are excited to attend the college championship horse trial, which will be hosted in Lexington, VA during May 2017.

The team encourages any incoming freshman who are interested in eventing to contact our president Anna Fogerty for any questions or information regarding the Clemson Intercollegiate Eventing Team. The girls can’t wait to see who will be the new riders to join the team next year.

Check out the Clemson Eventing Facebook page and website to keep up with the team and see what our riders will accomplish next semester!