In August of 2008, the North Carolina State University Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Western Riding Club came into existence at the hands of junior Justin Bubenik, a communication major, and Rebecca Bisophric, a junior in biological sciences.
Along with coaches Robin Lynn and Bob Mowrey, State’s western riding club found a home at N.C. State alongside the dressage and hunt-seat disciplines.
As a transfer student from Oregon State University, Bubenik came to N.C. State knowing there was not a riding club to suit his equestrian needs.
During his first year of competition at OSU he won the National Championship in Beginner Western Horsemanship. Upon coming to N.C. State as part of the National Student Exchange Program, he immediately began researching the feasibility of starting a team on State’s home turf.
“It all seems like a blur now,” Bubenik said. “But somehow everything came together with a lot of hard work and commitment on everyone’s part.”
Since its formation last fall, the team has really “come out of the box” in terms of strength, according to Bubenik. Lynn, who has worked for the University for 20 years in the Extension Horse Husbandry department, attributes its beginning success to the leadership that the students took on.
“Since this is not one of my job descriptions, they were in the understanding that they were going to have to take a huge leadership role in this team,” Lynn said. “The first organized meeting we had last fall, they brought in 25 members. Even I wasn’t expecting it.”
The turnout was the result of many Brickyard excursions by the team in attempts to recruit members and get information out amongst the student population. Though the team’s growth has impressed Lynn and the team founders, there has been one pressing issue: funding.
Each student has to pay for lessons and for his or her show entry fees each week. Typically riders practice once or twice a week, driving as far as an hour away to reach their practice destinations and then paying $10 to $15 as a practice fee. The competitions themselves cost approximately $30 per day to enter, and some students compete on both Saturday and Sunday.
Club president Susanna Morehead, a sophomore in animal science, believes gaining club status would alleviate the economic battles faced by the team.
“[Through becoming a club sport] we hope to partially or completely eliminate funding problems for those students who can’t pay for practices or shows,” Morehead said.
Though the hoops the team has had to jump through have been numerous, the hard work and struggles have paid off. By the end of its first season, the team won Reserve Champion Team in its region and believes its sport can be even more successful with the support of the University.
“I know from my office standpoint how scarce funds are out there,” Lynn said, “but these kids need all the support they can get. They’re representing this University very well.”
In hopes of promoting the club and raising funds from team entries, the team is co-hosting an open show with the N.C. Equine Rescue League Dec. 5-6 at the James B. Hunt Horse Complex on the N.C. State Fairgrounds.
