UConn Vaulting Club
UConn Vaulting Team: Another Set of National Champions from the University of Connecticut!
Vaulting is an equestrian sport which was practiced during the time of the Greek and Roman empires. Although it was a cavalry training technique then, it survives today as a sport which challenges athletes of all ages and levels. Vaulting is often described as the practice of gymnastics on the back of a moving horse. It requires strength, balance, flexibility, coordination and cooperation. Vaulters perform both compulsories, a standardized set of eight moves, and kürs. A kür is a freestyle routine choreographed to music, and can be performed alone, as a pas-de-deux, or as a team of up to eight people. In team kürs, there may be up to three people on the horse at once.
Vaulting is a team sport in the truest sense of the word. It requires trust and cooperation between the horse, the vaulter, and the vaulter's teammates. It requires no prior experience with horses, and you don't have to own a horse to participate. It builds skills which are useful outside the arena: strength, balance, grace, rhythm, coordination, and teamwork.
Vaulting lessons are offered at the University of Connecticut through the horse practicum program. Vaulting is available for all levels of vaulter. Practices take place both on the barrel, or "practice horse," and on our two trained vaulting horses. For those who wish to compete, the UConn Vaulting Team is a member of the American Vaulting Association, and a supported UConn Club. Competitions are available ranging from local horse and barrel fests to national championships.
The vaulting team here at the University of Connecticut was established in the Spring of 1999, with a small handful of aspiring vaulters and one barrel. Since then, we have grown to a team of over a dozen vaulters, ranging in age from five to fifty, and two wonderful horses.
Our coach Adele Dawley vaulted with the Vaulters of Ice Pond for many years, attaining her silver medal and demonstrating with the Friendship Team at the 1996 Olympics, before she came to UConn. She has since then put her effort into training our team. Most of the vaulters on the UConn team hold their bronze medals. The majority of us had never vaulted before coming to school, and a few of us had never even been around horses. Adele has forged us into a dynamic team. At VIP's Spring Fest in 2002, we performed our first C-team kür. We attend out local fests regularly, placing vaulters at the top of their categories every time. We also attended out first National Championships in August of 2001. Besides competitions, we are very active in putting on demonstrations, both at events on campus and at other locations in Connecticut. We also make the effort to bring in several clinicians every year, including Nancy Stevens-Brown, Kenny Geisler, and Kerith Lemon.
We currently have two vaulting horses, although we are always on the lookout for more. Out first horse, UC Buckingham, is a Morgan who was bred and raised at the University. He has a sweet disposition, and his metronomic center makes him an ideal compulsory horse. We learned together, but even after all that work he still loves his vaulters! Out team horse is Rio Bravo, a Quarter Horse - Draft cross who was donated to the University in the Spring of 2000. We began his training when he arrived, and he has matured into a steady and dependable kür and team kür horse. Besides vaulting, Rio and Bucky are used in the lesson program, where they ride hunt seat, dressage and western, and they both drive. We have lent them out at Nationals and at local fests, and they are much admired both by their guest vaulters, and by the judges.
The UConn Vaulting Team will accept and train anyone! We have a fun and relaxed atmosphere, and welcome both beginners and experienced vaulters to contribute to our team. Please feel free to come visit us, or contact us with any questions.