Though the team has been around since 1999, the LSU Equestrian buzz is muffled next to the bleacher- stomping roar of LSU football fans.
Unlike football — and nearly all other LSU athletics — LSU Equestrian is considered a club sport because it competes outside of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and is not funded by the University.
In 2006, former LSU Equestrian Team rider Leaf Boswell became the coach, and since then, she has helped the team evolve into its current rank as 10th in the nation.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Equestrians
The 26 women involved in the equestrian team build strong bonds with each other through a shared pas- sion for riding, forming a niche within LSU’s large campus.
Team Public Relations Officer Maggy Case made her way to the highest division as an open rider.
The women in higher divisions act as role models for the beginner riders by remaining a source of encouragement. No matter what division the women are in, Case said their constant support creates a winning attitude. President Jessi Farestvedt has been riding on the team for three years and said the team is like a family.
Former president Corinne Plough has been riding since she was 4 years old and has been on the team since she was a freshman. She explained how grateful she is to have a group of friends who share her love of horses.
“Equestrian people are different than everyone else. We understand each other. It’s a weird thing,” Case said.
The IHSA
Robert E. Cacchione established the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association in 1967 based on the principle that students should be able to compete regardless of skill level or financial status. The IHSA consists of six divisions: walk/trot, beginner walk/trot/canter, advanced walk/trot/canter, novice flat and fences, intermediate flat and fences and open flat and fences.
“The way we have shows are very different from the normal horse world,” Plough said.
In the IHSA, riders follow the rules of catch riding. Shortly before showing, participants are required to draw a random name or number out of a hat that indicates which horse they will ride. Situating in the stirrups is the only interaction allowed with the horse before the rider shows.
“It really focuses on your ability to adapt to different horses and control different horses. It’s really scary be- cause you’ve probably never seen that horse before,” Plough said.
Collegiate equestrian is one of the few sports in which men and women compete against each other. However, the sport has historically been more popular with the ladies.
Boswell said there has been talk of the club becoming a varsity team for 11 years. Though a timeframe has not been established, the team has prepared as much as they can for a transition.
If the team were to become varsity, they would join the NCAA and no longer be a part of the IHSA. Many changes would occur in funding and competition. LSU would be required to build a barn, provide horses and em- ploy coaches for a women and men’s team.
Tradition Reins
Traditions are necessary to provide teams with unity. Unlike most sports, riders are not allowed to represent their team in any way. Instead, all riders wear the same jackets, helmets and jodhpurs.
According to Boswell, this removes bias but also the sense of team spirit. As a compromise, the team members place small temporary tattoos on each rider’s wrist that re- mains concealed under his or her jacket during competition.
Plough said that Boswell made a bet with a former president stating that if the team ever won Nationals, she would make the temporary tattoo a permanent one.
After first joining, each member receives a team jacket. Members then get their name embroidered on their jacket when they qualify for Regionals. If members move on to qualify for the next level of competition after Regionals called Zones, they receive a bracelet with a small metal fac- ing that has “LSU Equestrian” inscribed on it.
“We have little things that kind of show people how far you’ve gone and what you’ve done,” Boswell said.
The Struggle is Real
Plough said the level of disorganization due to poor delegation was frustrating when she first became an officer. Officers now dedicate themselves by attending leadership workshops and sharing experiences with senior officers.
The team has also progressed significantly on a competitive level. In order to prepare them more for catch riding, their coach sometimes rotates the women’s horses during their practices. Boswell pinpoints weaknesses a student may have with a particular horse and works from there.
Boswell said the team’s biggest obstacle is only practic- ing once a week only if weather permits. Varsity teams with their own horses and indoor arenas are able to practice up to six times a week.
“Imagine if football could only practice once a week. It’s just really amazing what these girls do with what we have,” Boswell said.
Though practicing only once a week affects their strength and endurance in competition, Boswell said all of the women are determined to be the best.
Although the fees have prevented some students from remaining on the team, the club sport offers financial plans for those that wish to stay. The organization does everything possible to keep semester fees at a minimum, and the UREC has become irreplaceable in its role of reimbursing the team for some of its costs.
Members pay for weekly riding lessons at Ravenwood Stables. The team is also expected to pay for traveling expenses not covered by fundraisers. Overall, Farestvedt said, cost is nothing compared to the many benefits of being on the team.
Danger in the Saddle?
Riders are expected to adapt to their horse quickly be- cause they have personalities just like people. A rider may have more control and mesh better with a particular horse than a teammate because of complementing natures.
Riders never know how their horse will react to them. Though the team has not had any major accidents, they have seen a competitor or two get bucked off of their horse during a competition. Plough said ride at your own risk.
“Many members have fallen off, but then the saying goes- you’re not a real rider until you’ve fallen off,” Farestvedt said.
No matter the cost and no matter the risk, LSU Equestrian riders continue to do what they love.
“I love riding. There is something indescribable about being a team with an animal that is so powerful and yet so graceful. It’s like their movements become your movements and together you glide across the ground, almost dancing,” Farestvedt said. “Ride like you’re winning, even if no one is watching.”

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Rebecca Ratliff