Uni team tryout

[pugsandponies]

So I'm trying out for my uni's riding team on the 23rd! Excited but very nervous, mainly as I'll have to ride something I've never sat on before, and I get a bit nervous jumping new horses for the first time. Does anyone else ride for their university?

 

[BlizzardBudd]

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do fine
Just out of interest which UNO are you at?

 

[pugsandponies]

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do fine
Just out of interest which UNO are you at?

I'm at Essex

 

[Ella19]

find out what riding school they use and go book yourself in for a few jump lessons before the 23rd. That way you have a head start and will have sat on a few different ponies before the trials.

 

[chartoltewright]

Hi, I'm the team organiser for Leeds University's Equestrian Team. For our team trials we normally have a first round in which both myself and our team trainer will observe the riders riding two very different horses on the flat in order to gauge how they made that horse go. On our yard, we have some horses that are really push button, so if people don't get them going right then we know they won't be of a good enough standard, but with the more difficult horse it's important for us to see you trying and to see the way you school the horse to improve it in the short time you have. We then get a short list and those who have impressed us on the flat come back to jump and we then whittle them down into our 3 BUCS league teams and our development squad. I don't know if Essex are in the BUCS leagues but at university competitions you are expected to ride a pretty basic dressage test after a maximum of 10 minutes warm up on a horse you've never ridden before (unless of course, it's a home comp when you get home advantage! yay!!!) after that you jump a course of maximum 90cm (but these are rarely full up in the leagues, they only get mean at regionals and nationals) after 5 minutes warm up and 4 jumps. It does sound horribly scary and all our newbies this year were pretty nervous for their first comps, but the most important thing is to have fun! Really enjoy it and try hard and that'll come across! And this may seem obvious but always be really polite to yard staff and team members, our trainer has a few times dismissed people for attitudes that she doesn't think we can work with! if you can sneak a lesson in before the trials, do it!! it shows a really positive attitude and willing and also gives you a bit of a heads up! You don't get it in comps, but neither do 2 out of the 3 other people you are riding against and you get judged against them so it's all good! Good luck and have fun!!!

 

[pugsandponies]

chartoltewright - thanks for the advice, from talking to the Essex team captain, I think that's pretty much what I'm expecting from the tryout. I'm nervous but I am really looking forward to it!

Ella19 - that's a good idea, the riding school we use is only 10mins from home so there's no excuse not to have a snoop round and book a lesson really!

 

[Wizzkid]

I used to ride with Surrey Uni years and years ago it was great fun Good luck