Dressage Team

The University of Massachusetts Dressage Team is a self-funded team of riders whose goals include improving and expanding their knowledge and abilities in the sport of Dressage, gaining positive showing experiences, and working together as a team to meet these goals. Dressage is considered the "ballet" version of riding, due to its elegance and grace. Dressage riders strive to achieve perfect harmony with their horse through communication, partnership, and correctness in their riding. Riders aim to make their horses supple, consistent, and attentive to their every move.

The UMass Dressage Team competes within the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA). Teams consist of riders competing in four different levels: Introductory, Lower Training, Upper Training and First Level. Through the IDA students receive a membership to The United States Dressage Federation and compete using dressage tests created by the USDF. Team members compete at 4-6 shows in both the fall and spring. UMass is part of the Northeast Region, where we compete against such teams as Mount Holyoke College, Johnson & Wales University, UNH and Cazenovia College among many other schools.

Tryouts are held at the beginning of every fall semester to create a new team for the upcoming show season. Tryouts are open to any UMass student enrolled in one of the one credit riding classes offered through the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, in addition to meeting the requirements set out for each of the competitive levels. The team practices every Monday night throughout the semester and is coached by Suzanne Mente. Ms. Mente is a member of the Veterinary and Animal Sciences faculty and teaches the intermediate level riding classes. The goals of team practice include riding accurately with the horses on the aids, and getting students accustomed to riding unfamiliar horses well. At IDA competitions students compete on horses they have never ridden before; team members need to have the ability to interpret many different types of horses. By building teamwork and camaraderie we strive to remain competitive in the Northeast Region of the IDA, where UMass was reserve champion in 2002.

The UMass Dressage Team also hosts an IDA show in the spring semester, where we are able to highlight our facilities at the Hadley Farm and to show off our well-schooled horses to the other schools in the region. The team also does their own fundraising during the year and assists the New England Dressage Association in running a spring schooling show, hosted at the Hadley Farm. The team is busy and active with the Intercollegiate Dressage Association, and the local chapter of the USDF, The New England Dressage Association.

Wish us luck in the upcoming show season, we are working hard!

For more information about the Dressage Team, contact:

Suzanne Mente
413-549-3250
mente@vasci.umass.edu