University of Connecticut Student Organizations and Extracurricular Activities

The extent of activity in clubs listed below depends greatly on the number of interested students willing to participate. If you would like to join a club please express your interest to the advisor listed. Also you will find current club information and important dates posted on the ANSC Club bulletin board in the George White Bldg. located near the main level foyer outside the library.

Block and Bridle Club
Dr. Mike Darre, Dr. Tom Hoagland, & Kathy Pelletier, Advisors

This is the oldest student-managed activity on campus and is of great interest to students contemplating a future in the horse, livestock and related industries. The Little "I" Livestock, Horse Show and Poultry Show provides students with the opportunity to fit and show a variety of farm animal species. The Club also organizes a fund-raising ham sale and participates in Northeast Student Affiliates (NESA) Competition.

Dairy Club
Dr. Sheila Andrew, & Mary Margaret Cole, Advisors

Dairy Club members raise money by selling UConn Dairy Club commemorative milk bottles. This active club travels to the Royal Canadian Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada, organizes a Fitting and Showmanship Contest during the spring semester and helps with the State 4-H Dairy Day held in March. The club also has the opportunity to show at the summer State Breed Show and the fall Eastern States Exposition.

Dairy Judging Team
Mary Margaret Cole, Advisor
The UConn Dairy Judging Team meets weekly during the spring semester to learn and practice all aspects of dairy judging using the University's herd of cows. They meet bi-monthly during the summer and travel to area farms to judge different breeds of cows. The team competes during the fall semester at Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, MA, the All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg, PA, and World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI.

Dressage Team

Elizabeth Rademacher, Coach

Dressage is a French term that means "to train." When Dressage is executed to the highest level both horse and rider seem to work together in effortless harmony. Our team aims to promote the ideas of dressage throughout our campus and community. We do community service, hold clinics, and compete at surrounding colleges. There are currently 8 members on the showing team, and 15 total in the club. We compete for the Intercollegiate Dressage Association in Region B, which consists of UMASS, UVM, Post University, Mount Holyoke College, Norwich University, and the University of Guelph. This year we have expanded our team and are now hosting home shows at UCONN. Our goal is to continue to spread our love for the sport throughout the campus and among our horse friends.

Drill Team Club - 6th Annual Fun Horse Show (October 26)
Kathy Pelletier, Advisor
The UConn Morgan Drill Team was organized in 1987 with just four stock seat riders and four hunt seat riders. Today the team consists of approximately 10 members. The team rides their horses in patterns that are synchronized to music. Each semester and during the summer the members develop new riding routines and music selections to be used throughout the year at their fundraising events and at demonstrations. In recent years, the team has participated in the Little International Horse and Livestock Show, UConn's Homecoming Parade, Morgan Horse Parade, and at Morgan Horse Shows. Riders who want to join the team need to be at an Intermediate II riding level.

Equestrian Team
Students may participate in intercollegiate competition at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. The Equestrian Team participates in approximately 10 shows per year including Regionals, and Zone Finals. At each show the team competes against approximately 10 to 15 colleges. UConn's Equestrian Team routinely qualifies several riders for the National competition. Students are encouraged to sign-up for the Horse Practicum which is a non-credit riding class offered both in the Fall and Spring semester. Equestrian Team members are students selected from Horse Practicum classes who meet the standard for the team. We had a 2005 National Walk-Trot Champion. In 2006, UConn was High Point College and Reserve Team in Zone Finals and several students competed at Nationals. Students place at Nationals almost every year.

NOTE: The UConn Equestrian Team is not a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned team, however, it is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) and competes within their rules and regulations.

The Horse Practicum Program
The Horse Practicum is offered as a professional improvement, non-credit activity designed to increase the total experience and job competitiveness of Animal Science majors with a strong interest in horses. The program involves riding and/or working directly with horse care and management. For a fee, students can ride hunt seat, western, dressage and saddle seat from beginner through to advanced levels. Students will also have the opportunity to participate on field trips and clinics and attend demonstrations given by guest speakers exposing students to various aspects of the horse industry.

Horse Show Team
John Bennett, Coach
Students train, prepare and exhibit UConn Morgan horses at major New England and National events. Over the last few years numerous Championships have been won including: 1st Weanling Colt (Massachusetts Morgan Horse Show); Reserve Champion Youth Pleasure Saddle & Working Hunter (Vermont Spring Classic); Reserve Champion Pleasure Driving (Eastern States Exposition) and many more, Champion Jumper (New England Morgan Show), Reserve Champion Working Hunter (New England Morgan Show).

Livestock Judging Teams
Animal Science Faculty and Alumni
Team members are selected from those students who have completed the "Advanced Animal & Product Evaluation" course. Livestock Team students have attended the Eastern States Exposition, the Keystone International Livestock Expo (Harrisburg, PA), the Eastern National Livestock Expo (Timonium, MD), and the North American Livestock Exposition (Louisville, KY).

The Polo Practicum
Dr. James Dinger
The polo practicum is a non-credit, extracurricular riding program that offers beginner through advanced lessons in polo techniques and strategy. For a fee, students can ride at least once each week in the Horsebarn Hill Arena. The Department of Animal Science maintains approximately 20 polo horses, with tack and equipment provided for students participating in the polo practicum.

Polo Team
Dr. James Dinger, Coach
The women’s and men’s polo teams use horses maintained by the Department of Animal Science. Matches are played almost every weekend during both the fall and spring semesters. Both teams are highly competitive and participate each year in the National Intercollegiate Polo Tournament. Polo team players are selected from polo practicum students who meet the standard for the team as determined by Dr. Dinger. UCONN has won a total of nine National Intercollegiate Polo Championships.  The men’s team won the National Championship in 1972, 1973, and 1974, while the UCONN Women's Team won in 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Poultry Science Club
Dr. Michael J. Darre, Advisor
The UConn Poultry Science Club is open to all members of the University community who have an interest in poultry. This enthusiastic club hosts an opening social to welcome new members each fall and meets regularly, and sometimes hosts special guest speakers. Club members will assist with the annual "Little I", sponsor a booth and provide security for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources annual Cornucopia Fest, and process turkeys as a fund-raiser just before Thanksgiving. The funds raised are used to fund a January trip to Atlanta, GA to the International Poultry Exposition. The Exposition has more than 1,100 companies represented, which affords students the opportunity to see the breadth of the poultry industry, and to interview for employment. The club also assists the CT Poultry Association at the Eastern States Exposition.

Pre-Vet Club
Dr. Sandy Bushmich, Advisor
This active club is open to anyone interested in veterinary science. The Club holds meetings featuring faculty, veterinarians, and veterinary college recruiters as guest speakers. Activities have included trips to veterinary colleges, zoos and aquariums as well as carrying out a number of fund-raising events.

Students Educational Network for the Appreciation of Animals (SENAA)
Dr. Michael J. Darre, Advisor
The primary goal of SENAA is to promote public understanding of the importance of animals in our lives. Students interested in visiting schools, nursing homes, retirement facilities, businesses, farms, 4-H Clubs, etc., to discuss the proper care and use of animals will enjoy this club. Others who just want to learn more about the interactions of humans and animals will also find a place in SENAA.

Sororities and Fraternities
Numerous alternatives are available on campus, including the following agriculturally related: Alpha Zeta (honorary) and Sigma Alpha sororities and Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity (both professional/social).

Sigma Alpha Sorority