Riding their way to success

Congratulations to our equestrian team which took out first place at the recent Canterbury Secondary Schools One Day Horse Event.

Tess Morgan, Alice Macdonald, Belize McQuarrie, and Kate McDonald rode their way to success despite the challenging conditions for horses and riders.

Each of the girls competed in dressage, show jumping and cross country, showing their skills across the disciplines. 

The next event on the calendar for our equestrians is the inaugural South Island Secondary Schools Equestrian Event, being held at McLeans Island during winter tournament week, 29 August – 1 September.  Our riders will be competing in trail riding and eventing disciplines. 

Director of Sport Helen Belcher says the St Margaret’s College (SMC)  Equestrian Programme has been designed to support the girls’ in developing their skills across all aspects of horse riding.

“We are really proud of the girls and their performance this weekend. Our equestrian programme ensures that girls interested in horse riding are able to access multiple disciplines, supported by specialist coaches.” 

“For our boarders in particular, being able to stable their horses close by means they can continue to pursue their interest in riding and develop as riders, while maintaining their horses’ fitness throughout the season.” 

The SMC Equestrian Programme is available for girls in Year 7-13 and caters for a range of abilities. The programme is year-round and covers disciplines including show jumping, dressage, eventing and cross-country, and complements our polo offering. 

Our coaches, Emily Cammock and Anna Bryant, provide regular Equestrian Team Training Days, where they support our students to further develop their skills and confidence, and general horse care and management.