The equestrian club rides again
the tribulations involved in starting a club

Mary Kate Nolan| staff writer
mnolan2@smcvt.edu

Last year, St. Michael’s first-year Sarah James worked to start an equestrian club for students on campus. One year later, James is in Ireland, leaving the weight of the club on the shoulders of sophomores Erin DeBernardi, Kelly Cline and Ashley DeTrano. This year, the three girls are stepping up to take on leadership rules.

$20 horses

“When I came here, I thought St. Michael’s had an Equestrian Club,” DeBernardi says. “It said that in the catalogue.”

A horse at New Horizons Farm in Essex. photo courtesy of New Horizons Farm

Although the group now calls itself a "club" it was never granted official club status. The group of girls was granted funds that they requested from the Student Association (SA) this year. However, the total cost of the club was not entirely covered by the SA grant.

“The cost of the club is paid by each member,” Cline says. “It [the fee] is just the cost of lessons for two semesters.”

The group gets lessons at New Horizons Farm in Essex. Lessons normally run $40 per hour per person, but St. Michael’s equestrian club members are given a special discounted rate; they can ride for $20 per hour. DeBernardi says she is not deterred by the cost.

 “As horseback riders, we’re used to paying for lessons,” DeBernardi says.

The group usually meets once a month and schedules lessons once a week, DeBernardi says. The group currently boasts 25 members, two members are males. The club would like to attract more male members, DeTrano says.

From a trot to a gallop

DeTrano, Cline and DeBernardi all have expansive backgrounds in horseback riding. DeTrano started riding when she was 6, she says. She continued until high school, where she rode on and off.

DeTrano competed, and she frequently won, she says. Horseback riding has been a big part of her life since she was little, she says. That’s why she was so excited when people showed interest in the "club" last year.

“We really want the club to get off the ground this year,” Detrano says. “It would be something different for St. Michael’s to have.”

Kids learning how to ride. photo courtesy of New Horizons Farm

DeBernardi started riding when she was in fourth grade and continued to have a strong interest in riding until her senior year of high school. She decided to stop riding in order to fully experience her last year of high school, she says.

Cline started taking lessons when she was 9. Cline’s mom and dad only expected her to take two or three lessons, but once she started, there was no stopping her. However, Cline was forced to stop for a while due to a lack of money and time, but started back up again in high school.

This year will be the one

Despite obtaining SA funding, the 25 members of the group have yet to be granted club status. They must first meet all S.A. regulations beforehand.

According to Gary Levante, SA secretary of student policy, a club is only eligible for $500 of funding in their first year. However Levante says, groups that do not yet have club status can obtain funding through the SA.

“We were really disorganized last year because it was our first year,” Cline says. “We didn’t have a lot of time to organize our whole presentation and get everything together to be a club.”

To help secure funding after being denied club status last year, the equestrian “club” did a Krispy Kreme fund-raiser. The girls plan on doing the same fund-raiser this year, Cline says.

New Horizons Farm entrance. photo courtesy of New Horizons Farm

DeBernardi, DeTrano and Cline have faith that they can gain club status by the first semester of this year. They aren’t taking any chances and they have been really organized from the start, DeBernardi says.

“I think the equestrian club will prevail for years to come because there will always be interest,” DeBernardi says. “We’ll make sure to elect someone to run the club when we graduate.”

DeBernardi has gotten a promising amount of responses to the e-mails she sent out to garner interest for the activity, especially from beginners who haven’t ridden before.

“Every little girl loves horses, even if she’s never gotten a chance to ride,” DeBernardi says. “Now she can in college.”

The three girls are up to the challenge of gaining club status this year, DeBernardi says.

“Just like falling off a horse, when you fall you have to get right back on," she says.