Site Visit

Last Tuesday at 8pm, the members of the VA Tech Equestrian club met in rm. 1680 of Litton Reaves. It was the second, I believe, of the bi-monthly meetings. There were probably close to fifty girls there, all wearing sweatshirts and ponytails. I only saw about three boys who sat rather sheepishly toward the back. I mean, it is a "horsey" club. ;)

There was a guest speaker, who talked mostly about upcoming opportunities for studying abroad. She also mentioned a few recent events, such as how VT bred its first approved stallion, and how they are beginning some new research on foals. It was a mixture of random information, but I was especially interested in the studying abroad opportunites. Every two years, a group of about 20 Animal and Poultry Science majors goes to Germany over the summer. Since I'm an Animal and Poultry Science major, I may want to participate in that!

Then the captain of the VT Hunter Seat Team, Lindsay Williamson, spent a few minutes informing the club of some upcoming activities. For example, each member is required to help in some way with the Oct. 5th horseshow. It's a huge event, held here at VA Tech, and many hands are needed to prepare for it.

After the floor was opened for questions, the meeting was concluded. I found myself very much attracted to the atmosphere of the club. It was friendly and open, and all the members seemed excited and energized to be there. They were more than happy to answer my questions, and it made me want to be involved!

The VT Equestrian club sponsors the VT Riding Team, and supports equine-related activities both on and off campus. I'm very interested in seeing just how big their supporting role is. For instance, what would happen in the club were suddenly taken away? Would the Riding Team still be able to function? This is going to be the main topic of my research project.