Melanie Taetle, a sophomore from Atlanta, Georgia, spends her time at Michigan pursuing a dual degree in Political Science and History, eating, sleeping, watching One Tree Hill, and riding horses. Her love for horses translated into a passion for equestrianism, and her time at the school wouldn’t have been the same without the University of Michigan Equestrian Team. As much as she loves competing, she loves her team even more, and it shows in how much she values the virtue of support over the virtue of competition.
Her Campus : What got you into horseback riding?
Melanie Taetle: I’ve been riding since I was four years old. I started riding because my best friend from Pre-K and I used to pretend that we were horses during recess, so we decided to go take lessons together.
HC: How are you able to ride and compete at U of M?
MT: I am on the Michigan Equestrian Team. We compete all over the state of Michigan against schools like GVSU, SVSU, MSU, Albion, CMU, and WMU. Competitions are both fun and miserable. They’re fun because everyone is incredibly supportive of one another, and everyone is there because they love horses- not because they love competition. If you don’t ride well, your teammates help you laugh it off because, at the end of the day, we’re all just there because we all love riding. They’re horrible because you’re usually tired, hungry, and cold, but we bond over these struggles as a team, and we get to eat at unhealthy fast food restaurants when the shows are over. The food is definitely the thing getting us through the long day.
HC: How has being on the Michigan Equestrian Team impacted you?
MT: The team has had a pretty big impact on my life. Being on the team, I’ve made amazing friends that I would have never met without it, and I have grown as both a rider and a person. Horseshows and team practices have taught me the value of patience because nothing happens very quickly. I’ve learned to just roll with the punches and to take everything in stride. I have also learned that you get more out of the experience when you are supportive than you do when you are competitive. I’ve found that I am happiest when my teammates are successful regardless of how poorly or how well I’ve done. Not to sound cheesy, but it really is all about the team, the team, the team.
HC: What does equestrianism mean to you?
MT: I think equestrianism will always be in my life regardless of whether or not I’m riding regularly. I can always fall back on it when things aren’t going my way or when I need a break from the real world. At the end of the day, no matter how frustrated you are with how’ve badly you’ve ridden, you still love it, and you’ll keep running back to it.