By Zach Babajanof-Rustrian | Sports Writer
The spring portion of the season for Baylor equestrian is set for this weekend, and assistant coach (horsemanship) Jessie Weisinger said the team is taking a day-to-day approach going into Saturday’s match against Georgia.
“We have everything to gain and just trying to really keep the energy up and really thinking about taking it one day at a time,” Weisinger said. “Another big thing we’re talking to the team about is you just wake up in the morning, and you accomplish that day. And then we get the next day and take that day, whatever it throws at you. Same thing with practice.”
The equestrian team is being extra intentional in practice, according to Weisinger. The Bears are trying to clean up performance in different events in order to score the best possible, sophomore jumping seat Lauren Reid said.
“My goal for the season is really just to stay consistent,” Reid said. “Just kind of eliminating mistakes while also improving and pushing myself to keep up my skills.”
Reid went 2-0 in fences and 2-1 in flat in fall Big 12 competition. After notching a career-high score in fences against TCU, she said she’s looking up to seniors and super-seniors to continue improving.
“Both the fifth years on the jumping seat squad, Maddie Vorhies and Dominika Silvestri have been really good mentors,” Reid said. “Since last year, I’ve been in almost all my practices with them, just traveling with them [and] seeing how they carry themselves after a great round, or maybe not so great of a round. And just how they come back from that and how they carried themselves. I think [it] is really great and I really look up to them.”
Weisinger said trying to attain that consistency is going to be the toughest but most crucial component of a strong spring season.
“We need to be as full as a team consistently putting in very smart, confident, good rides. And I think that’s really one thing we’ve tried to learn from our mistakes and really look at where we can improve and how we can be better for the spring,” Weisinger said. “And I think all of the squads are really focused on that and just … riding whatever horse you have that day and focusing on it and what it means.”
The Baylor equestrian team will face Georgia (4-3) at 11 a.m. on Friday at the Willis Family Equestrian Center.
