Maybe you read before that I’m the President of the Society of Women Engineers this year, and I would have to say that is my favorite club, however, Natalie already wrote an awesome Blog about it, so you can check that out if you’re interested in SWE.
Me and FAST!
Instead I’ll talk about a club that I just joined last semester, but that I already love: The USC Equestrian Team!
I’ve been riding horses since I was 10, starting with expensive lessons at a stable 45 minutes from my remote country home
Then, when I was 12, my parent’s helped me buy a Quarter Horse named Yes Your Honor (everybody called him Buddy). I trained him myself and was one of 2 people to ride him until I had to sell him and go to California
For 2 years, I really missed riding, until I decided at spring involvement fair last year that even if I WAS an engineering major, I wasn’t going to let that keep me from doing the things I loved. So I signed up for the Equestrian Team
Then this summer I was riding on/off, but when this deal came up to buy an amazing, 8yr, Thoroughbred off the racetrack, I couldn’t resist and I bought Fast. I call him Not Fast Enough because he lost every single race he was in, but we have an awesome time running through the park I board him at, 30 minutes north of campus
Today was my 3rd lesson of the year, and I’m training for competitive shows with the USC Equestrian Team (USCET). I’ll start in the novice level, walk/trot/canter, moving my way up as I win!!
Once I get good, I’ll start training on jumps! These are over 3ft high, higher than I’ve ever jumped, but if I squeeze your knees and move with the horse (Center of Mass Equations come to mind), I won’t fall off
I ride with girls of all years and majors and backgrounds. The 2 girls I take my lesson with are from Taiwan and Africa! Also, I get the chance to ride a ton of different horses. In college equitation competitions, you get put on a random horse and judged by how good you are are a rider, adjusting to the cues of your mount on the fly! It’s quite challenging!
Tack Room: English Hunting Saddles and Bridles
Equestrian Team at a show! (I’m on the left in entirely borrowed clothes because I was too poor last year to afford all the fancy getup. After my summer at Boeing, however, I’m all set!)
