Congratulations to Oxford resident Jacquelyn Giradot who was recently named 7th in the nation for Western riding by the Intercollegiate Horse Scholastic Association (IHSA).
Giradot, 20, competed at the national IHSA competition in Burbank, CA May 8 amongst hundreds of other college riders.
A junior at Grand Valley State University studying education, Giradot was one of the 419 riders out of about 8,000 to make it to the prestigious event.
She began her quest to nationals by placing 2nd at the Kalamazoo regional competition; then placed 3rd at the semifinals in North Carolina before making it to The Golden State.
What was most stressful about the competition was that Giradot, a 2005 Oxford grad, didn’t get to ride her horse Cowboy.
‘We don’t even use our own horses when we go there,? she said. ‘We use the ones that are provided for us. It’s kind of nerve-wracking, but I got used to it.?
Giradot rode a horse named Rocky, with whom she had to bond with in only a short time before the events began.
Luckily, he was easy to handle and great to get along with.
‘It’s totally the luck of the draw,? she said.
At the IHSA competition, riders must perform certain horseback riding characteristics, like walking, trotting, cantering and must maneuver through a pattern of cones set up in the stadium ring.
Unlike English riding, western horses are ridden on little or no contact by the rider, who uses his or her seat, weight and neck-reining to aid the horse with the maneuvers.
Giradot has been riding since she was 6-years-old and said it’s her ‘passion to ride horses.?
She admitted that she wishes she could’ve placed higher than 7th at the IHSA competition.
‘After I thought about it more, I realized it wasn’t too bad and I felt pretty good about it,? she said.
Although she was happy about her results this year, Giradot’s still not sure if she’ll compete next year.
‘I kind of feel like I’ve already gotten as far as I can go,? she said.