University of Georgia Athletics
October 21, 2015 | Equestrian
Each year the seniors of Georgia equestrian come up with a slogan- a motto to live by, encourage, and motivate the team for the year. This year's slogan: Setting The Standard!
After much consideration the seniors decided that "Setting the Standard" is already what they do and strive for. As a six-time national championship team and first time SEC Champions, year after year Georgia is the team to beat. Georgia has been ranked No. 1 in preseason polls for four years straight and has finished the season as either champions or reserve champions at nationals for the last nine seasons.
"We're setting the standard for equestrian as a sport and every team that we compete against," Abby Brown said.
"When you're ranked No. 1 to start the season each year, 'setting the standard' is what we're doing right from the beginning," captain Rachel Kolb added.
To start this season, the Bulldogs are 4-0 as they head into a brief break before traveling to Auburn for a meet on Nov. 13.
The team has already shown significant improvements as the season has progressed, specifically in the Western ring under new assistant coach Laura Brainard.
But "setting the standard" goes beyond just competing and achieving success in the arena. The equestrian team continues to set the standard in the classroom as well. At the conclusion of the 2014-15 academic year, equestrian achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.37, which ranked second among Georgia athletics. The year prior, equestrian ranked first with a cumulative GPA of 3.40.
Captain Jessica Dencker says, "members of the team, past and present, are known for excelling in the classroom, demonstrating good sportsmanship, lending a hand in the Athens community, and looking to improve our program, all while being talented riders."
Emily DuPont said, "people have high expectations for us and our actions will define what it means to be the best."
The high expectations start from within the team. Even with a championship mindset, it's not necessarily about the ring. It's about the plan developed for the season, and every opponent they set the standard against.
"Although we have already won numerous championships and continue to be successful, we never want to be anything less than the best," DuPont said. "We expect our team to continue living up to the legacy of Georgia Equestrian and represent the high standard that we have always been held to."
Under head coach Meghan Boenig, the expectations and attitude of the team remains consistent from year to year. Earlier this season, Boenig described the theme for this year as "not comparing us to somebody else, being in control of your possibility, going one step further until you reach your full potential. It's important for the seniors to 'set the standard' for the younger riders".
"As seniors we try to lead the lowerclassmen by example," Rachel Kolb said. "We have to set the standard for them because the standard we set is the one that the rest of the team is held accountable to follow."
Equestrian is unique in the way teams compete. Competition changes each week, not only with opponents but also the horses and patterns the teams ride.
"We talk a lot about having a humble confidence because no one can claim to be better or worse than the next person in this format," Kolb says. "It is all about who rides a particular horse the best on any given day. Our sport is about the preparation and mentality that we must have to perform our best. We have to set the standard higher and higher in everything we do from daily workouts, to the classroom, to practice in order to keep progressing and to give ourselves the best chance of success."
"If excellence is the standard at which you set all of your goals, success will come," Laura Malone said.
The team knows what it is like to win and the feeling of falling just short, but together they strive to live up to the legacy that has become Georgia Equestrian. The qualities demonstrated consistently among the UGA equestrian team exemplifies "Setting the Standard".
