When Students at the University of Maine think of athletics they instantly think hockey or football. Has any student thought about the equestrian sports UMaine offers? One of the three equestrian teams here includes the Dressage Team.
Still in its developing stages, the team focuses on the Dressage discipline of riding. In French, Dressage means “training.” When riding, the horse and rider pair want to achieve each movement with effortlessness, willingness and ease. This beautiful sport combines yoga and ballet and in essence is a dance. This specific discipline has dated back to war time era when soldiers fought on horseback and this sport is still the basis of many disciplines.
The team competes at four shows a semester riding the other teams’ horses when traveling. They compete at UNH, Johnson & Wales, and Bridgewater State University. Unlike most horse shows, these athletes draw a horse and have 10 minutes to warm- up before riding a pattern or the test the rider is set to perform. With the team hosting one show and traveling to others throughout the semester, the season can be unpredictable.
The team is required to ride daily at Puckerbrush Farm in Newburgh, Maine.