On the hunt to make history

Liberty’s equestrian hunt seat team seeks to make it to nationals for first time

“Shoulders back!” “Heels down!” “Check your diagonal!”

These are just a few of the commands a rider on the Liberty hunt seat team may hear from their trainer at the Liberty University Equestrian Center, tucked away in the woods on Lone Jack Road.

There are two types of riding, English and Western – hunt seat is a variation of English, a style based on traditional fox hunting which involves jumping.

Training will intensify as the hunt seat team nears its biggest competition to date: the IHSA regional zone championship.

The event will be held April 8 at St. Andrew’s University in Laurinburg,
North Carolina.

Hunt seat coach Suzanne Flaig says this competition signifies one of the team’s last steps toward making Liberty history.

“If our team places in the top two in the zone championship, we would move on to the national championships,” Flaig said.

“This would be a first for Liberty.”

If the team wins zones, it will move on to the Intercollegiate Nationals in Lexington, Kentucky during the first weekend in May.

The team pulled through a tough season to earn its spot in zones and ultimately its chance at nationals.

Eight regular season shows were tallied up for the region this year to determine the regional high-point teams.

The Liberty team had to remain the top team at all of its regional shows, retaining a certain number of points to proceed.

Once, the team needed to give back some of the points it earned because a teammate ended up being ineligible for one of the classes she rode in.

While she competed in the class, she did not actually qualify to participate in the class.

The team went from having a 38-point lead to a 10-point lead going into the
second semester shows.

Regardless, the team kept its slim lead, and won the region in the final regional show.

There will be five teams from each region competing at zones, along with two riders from each team competing in individual events.

Liberty’s two individual riders are Morgan Faber and Elizabeth Chenelle.

Chenelle, a point rider and co-captain for the team, has also qualified to compete for the Caccione Cup.

This is a special class at nationals open only to the highest-point riders from each region.

Chenelle will compete individually for the Caccione Cup as well as riding for points on the team should the team win zones.

Regardless, Chenelle has a straight shot to nationals through the Caccione Cup, even if the rest of her team does not make it.

This will mark the first time that Liberty has ever had a rider compete at nationals.

“Ideally, we’d love to move on to nationals as a team like Morgan and I have as individuals,” Chenelle said.

“I’m already going, but I would love for the whole team to be going with me.”

As a co-captain, Chenelle does not just earn points for her team.

She sees to the intricate details of her sport, like making sure all of the riders have proper clothing for events.

“It really sounds kind of funny, but a lot of riding is about the way your clothes fit you and how they show off your body,” Chenelle said.

“So I make sure they’re all properly fitted.”

Another of the team’s three co-captains, Cassandra Steptoe, will also be attending zones.

“I usually have a rag and a numbered class list,” Steptoe said.

“I check who’s going into what class and what horse they’re riding and if they need any aids like a crop or spurs.”

Steptoe’s duties mainly involve organizational help on the sidelines.

Though she’s not a point rider like Chenelle, who is selected to ride specifically for points, her role is still significant to scored events.

“People who aren’t point riders can block points if the team’s point rider can’t get those points,” Steptoe said.

“If the point rider came in third and only got four points, I could get in second and I would get five points. But the point riders are usually best at that in their division. In zones, it’s all on the point riders.”

Flaig emphasized this expectation of excellence in her team training objectives leading up to zones, where judges will call out commands to the rider, observe carefully and award points accordingly.

“They need to be able to perform under pressure,” Flaig said of her riders.

“They definitely need the showmanship which commands a judge’s attention in the arena. The riders also need to be accurate with what they’re asked to do. They will need to execute commands efficiently and correctly.”

Flaig expressed high praise for how far the team had come this year and the high hopes she has for its success as the season’s end grows near.

“My personal goals are to walk into the ring confidently, complete my course confidently, and make no little minor mistakes that could really cost me,” Chenelle said.

“Whatever we do, we do it for God and not ourselves,” Steptoe said.

“It would be great if we won. But if we don’t, I hope (the team members) know that they did their best. We are still a team. and we still love each other.”

Jarrett is a feature reporter.