URI Equestrian Team

I know that this post might be some what late, but I just got back from Germany last night, and I am glad that I waited to write this post until now. Although I was in Germany to focus on myself and my own riding, I found myself thinking a lot about the URI Equestrian team, and how much they would have gotten out of an experience much like this one. The German system of riding is so much different then the system in the states, and so much more effective. A lot of the girls on the team only want to focus on jumping, and some think that drawing a good horse is the only way that you will be successful in riding in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and also in the other circuits that many of the girls compete in outside of the university. In Germany riders master both Dressage and Jumping, and they believe that a good rider can not be truly great without mastering at least the basic knowledge of these equine principles. I was very happy that I had the chance to volunteer with the URI Equestrian team because it gave me a great understanding of another side of the sport that I have never been involved in, and although I do not see myself ever switching over to the hunter/jumper ring from the dressage ring, I did find a lot of respect and understanding for the riders who do choose to compete in that field. I no longer as a dressage rider see the taboo of hunter/jumpers, as so many people in the dressage world do. This experience knocked me down to the bottom rungs of knowledge, as I could not offer much help to the riders except for the universal basics, which at first was uncomfortable for me because I am used to be asked so many questions and to give my opinion because in the dressage world, I know a lot. It was humbling to work with the URI Equestrian team, as well as a learning experience that I will not forget!