Alex O'Sullivan grew up on a farm in South Gippsland, Victoria to a horsey family and ‘has been riding ever since I could walk’
Like many Australian riders, she took part every discipline through Pony Club, but her passion has always been for eventing, competing at the Interschool Nationals (new 1*) in 2012 and at the Melbourne International 3DE in the Junior 1* (now 2*) in 2013 at the age of 16.
“Since then school and university has got in my way and competition riding has gone on the back burner” says Alex “I've kept the riding as something I love to do but only been competing for fun around lower levels and representing the sport I love as a West Gippsland Young Ambassador for Eventing”
Recently Alex had the opportunity to spend a University semester (six months) in America and she fills us in on how it also offered a chance to try new types of competitions and ways of riding.
LSU Equestrian Team, celebrating a successful weekend
It’s always been a dream of mine to study abroad in the United States; what I never imagined was the possibility of not only riding whilst there but also representing my University as part of their equestrian team.
A year ago, when I was looking at American colleges, I looked to the big football schools. I love sports and it seemed like the ‘typical’ college experience. It was only once I had decided upon Louisiana State University (LSU) that I discovered their college equestrian team and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).
After doing a bit of research, I discovered that the host universities of the IHSA shows provided the horses, meaning I could compete on the other side of the world. I followed LSU Equestrian on all forms of social media to ensure that I didn’t miss try outs - after all I only had one semester there – and within the first week of classes, I was all set for an information night and the try outs sign up.
I was lucky enough to meet another new potential member, Sarah, who kindly drove me to try outs at the local barn the following Sunday. The existing members saddled up all the horses and we waited to be assigned to a horse; I was given Sean, a well-educated ex-jumper who’d previously competed up to 1.40m was easily the most educated horse I’ve ever sat on. We warmed the horses up and did a few small courses of about 60cm.
A week later I got the email - I’d made the team! They had placed me in the top level, the open division where you jump from 2’9- 3’0 (up to 90cm) and being part of the team required a commitment to weekly riding lesson, two gym sessions and volunteer hours. During the weekly lessons, we rode different horses to get used the IHSA style of show, which was quite different for me. You are put on a horse and led into the ring at a walk, you then work the horse out in the ring, in front of the judge and there is no practise jump or big loop around the ring, it is simply straight into the competition. You are not judged by how the horse goes but purely on how you ride it and your position; even if you dropped a rail you could still win the class if it was deemed a horse fault rather than a fault of the rider.
Winning round in Mississippi Riding Zeus
Our first show was an eight-hour bus ride away, just outside of San Antonio, Texas. On arrival we watched the host university, Trinity, school the horses over the jumps. We didn’t know which horse we were riding until about 20 minutes before competing, so it was important to make good notes about how each horse was to be ridden and what distances they had been getting in the jumping lines. This competition was a steep learning curve and I really enjoyed the team aspect, especially with LSU winning the Highpoint on the Sunday.
The following weekend we had the second and final show of the semester in Jackson, Mississippi. It followed a very similar format, heading to the event to watch schooling on the Friday afternoon before a team meeting back at the hotel. The venue for this show was beautiful and all the horses were of a very high quality.
LSU managed to win comfortably both days of the show and the Sunday was very emotional for me as it was to be my last show and last day spent with the whole team who had become very close friends. It was the perfect ending to take third place, just behind both of my fellow LSU riders in the flat competition and then do an excellent equitation round in jumps to win my very last class. I finally got the hang of it just as I was finishing my time on the team!
LSU Open riders and our coach
The LSU equestrian team is truly one of a kind, not only were my 29 fellow teammates talented but truly lovely and supportive people that I have got to know very well through sharing beds in hotel rooms, car trips and lessons. Experiencing the team side of equestrian competition, which is quite often an individual sport, has been a once in a lifetime experience and I couldn’t have asked for a better team.
Riding in these two events and having weekly lessons from our fabulous coach, Leaf, has also really help me improve; the emphasis on equitation has allowed me to truly focus on my own position and riding, trying to become a more seamless rider without having to worry about educating the horse in every ride. Coming from eventing where if you kept every rail up you were happy, to riding in equitation where not getting the right stride is the difference between winning and losing a class has made me more conscious of every jump, the importance of seeing the stride early and making a decision to improve the stride if it is wrong.
Training and riding with the LSU equestrian team has helped me become a more effective rider and undoubtedly be a safer rider on the cross-country course back home to Australia.
Competing at home in Australia with my thoroughbred gelding, Voe, before University days
