By Chris Walkey
The Springfield College Club Equestrian Team is comprised of a group of riders with various degrees of experience. Each season is made up of roughly eight shows during which the team competes against colleges and universities across the state and region.
The team competes in the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA). It is classified as Zone 1 Region 3, which includes Amherst College, Bennington College, Bentley University, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, UMass Amherst, Williams College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Worcester State University.
In IHSA, riders do not bring or choose their own horses to ride. At every show, a draw takes place, where riders are assigned unfamiliar horses they have to quickly adapt to with no warm-up.
Currently, four students compete on the team, which includes their two captains, junior Kaitlyn Kupiec and Maggie Cyr, and two underclassmen, sophomore Mary-Elizabeth Hrycay and first year Leila Osorio.
The team traveled to Muddy Brook Farm in Amherst, Mass., for two competitions on Oct. 21-22. As a team, Springfield finished third overall on both days of competition.
On Saturday, Oct. 21, Kupiec finished in second place in open over fences and third place in open flat, allowing her to add nine points to the team total. Hrycay received the first blue ribbon of her IHSA career, competing in the novice division.
Between the four riders, they racked up 23 points to help the team place third on Saturday.
“This is one of our best finishes since I started with the team,” Cyr said. “It’s really exciting to see us succeed.”
On Oct. 22, Osorio had a great day in the show ring, ending in first in limit over fences and taking the top spot in limit on the flat. Osorio’s two first-place finishes earned her the limit high-point rider ribbon for the day.
“I was very proud of Leila [Osorio] for winning both of her limit fences and flat classes on Sunday. It was exciting to see her excel in one of the beginning competitions of the year,” Cyr said. “It’s pretty special that she had the opportunity to be in the running for overall high point rider of the day.”
After receiving the high point rider ribbon, if riders become tied, there is a ride-off at the end of the day to determine who becomes the overall high point. Osorio participated in the ride-off in Sunday’s competition.
As a first-year student, it was a major accomplishment for Osorio to be in the overall high-point ride-off.
“I was happy with how I rode, and I got lucky with the horses I drew for the day,” Osorio said. “They allowed me to perform to the best of my abilities.”
Hrycay won her novice flat class again on Sunday, now totaling two wins in her IHSA career.
Osorio and Hrycay have given Springfield the opportunity to not only focus on their individual performances, but also the teams.
On Sunday, Cyr finished second in intermediate over fences while finishing fourth in limit flat, while Kupiec finished third in both open fences and flat.
This is an important season for the Springfield Equestrian Team because it’s the first time in Cyr or Kupiec’s IHSA career they have enough riders to fully fill out a point sheet, giving them the chance to lead the region in total points. The team with the highest number of points is eligible to compete at Zone Finals for the chance to earn a spot at the National Horse Show at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, N.C.
This season the team also introduced a new coach, Jennifer Wilda. Wilda is experienced in the equestrian field in western Massachusetts, as she also coaches Amherst College in the IHSA. She has a home nearby in Granby, Mass., where the team practices during the competition season.
Wilda is an ideal candidate to coach due to the experience and respect she has built for herself in the industry.
“We have a good group of riders that are eager to compete, and I’m excited to see how we fare throughout the season,” Wilda said.
Cyr was excited for this new addition because she has past experience riding with Wilda.
“I’ve known Jen for nine years, and I’ve ridden with her on and off for seven out of the nine,” Cyr said.
Kupiec is also excited about the addition of coach Wilda because she has also known her for around 10 years, but has never gotten the opportunity to train with her and get to know her on a personal level.
The next show for the team is at Mount Holyoke College on Oct. 28. Springfield’s riders will be looking to add to their point totals, which will help them qualify for Regionals on March 30. In order to qualify for Regionals, each individual rider in intermediate, limit, and novice must total 36 points. For the open class, which is the highest-placed division, riders have to get to 28.
After riders qualify for Regionals, they must place first or second to advance to Zones. If riders make it to Zones, they must again get first or second to qualify for the National Horse Show.
In addition to her regular classes, Kupiec is hoping to qualify for the Cacchione Cup, which only involves open riders. This event’s purpose is to showcase the highest level of competition. Last year, Kupiec made it to the Nationals for the second time in her career. She was one of the three Zone 1 Cacchione riders for the 2022-2023 season.
Cyr is looking ahead to point out of limit and into intermediate flat. She hopes to continue her success and give herself the opportunity to qualify for Regionals for the second time in her career.
Osorio and Hrycay will look to continue their success in the IHSA this season giving themselves the opportunity to qualify for Regionals in the spring of 2024.
Additional reporting from Kaitlyn Kupiec
Photo from Kaitlyn Kupiec