Club Spotlight: Equestrian Club
The Equestrian Club is the place to go for all things horses! Run by Grey Peters (‘24) for her second year, the club aims to provide a space for riders and anybody interested in equestrian sports to share their experiences and learn together as a group. Check out contributor Fevroniya Barinova’s Q&A with Grey Peters!
Equestrian Club Member Jillian Bross '27
Pixel Journal: What inspired you to start the equestrian Club, What were the aims? Do you think you are achieving these aims?
Grey Peters: Knowing how unique a sport riding is, I started the Equestrian Club to give riders a place to share their riding story, talk about different elements of the sport, and learn about other members’ disciplines and experiences. We also aimed to help OHSers that are just generally interested in horses to learn more about riding. I believe that we've been achieving these goals pretty well! Especially this year, we have a wide range of riders, from competing members to new riders and people interested in riding in the future. We've talked through many different topics, and members have presented in their area of expertise, which has been an incredibly valuable learning experience!
PJ: How long have you been running the Equestrian Club?
GP: This is my second year running the Equestrian Club. While an Equestrian Club may have existed in the past at OHS, there was not a current club when I started it in 2019.
PJ: How often do you meet?
GP: We aim to meet every other week, though we don't meet during midterms or finals or when there's an OHS conflict.
PJ: What do you do in a typical meeting?
GP: Our meeting style varies dramatically! Some of our more serious weeks consist of presentations from one of the members, workshops (i.e. setting goals for the upcoming year of riding), or sharing riding exercises. However, we also meet to watch competitions or more informally chat about our preferences within the sport. Overall, we want to be able to build off each other's strengths and being a global community where we can learn about riding in all parts of the world. Here are a few activities that our club offers!
Presentations by club members on various aspects of the sport
Informative lectures on horse anatomy by various club members
Explore resources found on USEF and the Pony Club
Invite professionals to speak on their philosophy
Watch competitions!
Q&A for the newer riders with the more experienced riders in the club
Consulting for new members to decide if riding is the right sport for them
Share exercises and courses to enhance your schooling rides
Lectures on different tack, training systems, etc.
Goal-setting sessions for you and your horse for both short-term and long-term goals. Supporting each other in reaching goals.
Give you a place to share about your own riding journey and feel supported!
Provide a forum to share ups and downs, come up with ideas for meeting challenges—many of which in horse riding are universal across disciplines—and share the excitement of successes.
PJ: Are all students welcome?
GP: Yes!! If you're interested in horses or riding in general, feel free to stop by. We'd love to answer any questions you have!
PJ: What kind of culture does the club have (casual/formal)?
GP: The club is relatively casual! This is a space for riders to share how everything is going in their world--both the ups and downs and learn as a group.
PJ: How does this club contribute to the Pixel community?
GP: Riding is a very unique sport, and while your other friends might try to understand, the camaraderie and understanding between fellow riders is special. We hope that OHS equestrians can feel more connected to pixels with the same interest through the club! As riders, we also understand how difficult it is to start riding given the inherent complexities of horse sports. Thus, we also seek to create a supportive group to help prospective new riders find their way into the horse world.
Equestrian Club Member Christian Hacker '25