Sharing a love of horses are, left to right, Kristy Stengard, Mgt 09; Tech student Jessica Solana, trainer Emily Tomlinson and student Gillian Newberry.
Like most girls, Kristy Stengard loved horses as a child. “But some of us don’t grow out of it,” she said.
Stengard began riding competitively and even owned her own horse, a palomino with the admittedly uncreative name Pal. When Stengard was accepted to Georgia Tech, she realized she wouldn’t have time to care for Pal and sold him.
Giving up riding completely wasn’t an option, so Stengard quickly joined Tech’s all-female Equestrian Club, a team of about 30 riders that competes in 28 events a year across the Southeast. Stengard became president of the club, which also hosts a benefit show to raise money and goes on camping trips and trail rides.
The club, founded in 1995, uses horses owned by trainers in Woodstock and Conyers, meaning members have to drive nearly an hour from campus to practice sessions.
But members recently formed a new partnership that allows them to ride much closer to Tech. Last fall, the boyfriend of a club member saw a member of the Atlanta Police Department’s mounted division and suggested he contact the club.
Since then, club members have provided almost daily assistance with the department’s 16 horses, which are stationed near Zoo Atlanta. They ride and groom the horses, making sure they’re properly exercised.
“The APD barn is a lot closer, and they have really nice horses,” Stengard said. “They’ve embraced us wholeheartedly.”
In February, the department named Stengard and six other club members as honorary members of the mounted patrol.
While Stengard enjoys working with the police horses, she still holds a goal of again owning her own horses. That goal came a step closer when she graduated with a management degree in December. She works at Medium Blue, a marketing company near Tech’s campus.
Alumnae are allowed to compete in Intercollegiate Horse Show Association events, so Stengard has continued to be involved. She also is the secretary of the new equestrian alumni affinity group.
One member of the group who still competes is Megan Heaphy, Biol 07. She will be representing Tech at the IHSA Nationals in Lexington, Ky., on May 6-9. Heaphy is only the second Tech representative in the national competition.
Those interested in the affinity group may contact group president Erika Larson, ME 04, MS BioE 06, at [email protected]. More information about the student equestrian club is available on its Web site.
With Stengard having so many new responsibilities with the affinity group and her career, she turned the club’s presidency over to Jessica Solana, a second-year biology major.
“I’m happy to turn the reins over,” Stengard said.
Twitter