Wesleyan College Equestrian sending 2 to IDA National Championships this weekend

The Wesleyan College Equestrian Team, which added dressage to its competitions in 2019, has qualified for the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) National Championships for the fourth consecutive year.

Head coach Catherine Texter Baker says Nieve Leyne and Taylor Kankowski will represent the team this year.

A unique aspect of the competitions is that riders do not ride their own horses; instead, they draw a random horse from a group donated by people and schools for the event.

“Horses and riders are like humans,” Baker said. “Some get along, some don’t. It’s not a machine, so you can’t get in and say, ‘I know how to drive this.'”

The elegant movements in dressage have roots in warfare, as horses and riders were trained to perform precise moves based on the rider’s commands and aids.

“If you could teach your horse how to kick out and decapitate your opponent, then it was a significant win,” Baker explained.

The IDA National Championships are the highest-ranked competition for collegiate dressage riders.

“This is their Olympics,” Baker continued. “This is what, the Final Four of basketball? This is really important for them regardless of the outcome. They’ve made it to nationals. They have done something that they can keep for the rest of their life.”

The Wesleyan College Equestrian Team will compete on April 21 and 22 in Lexington, Virginia.