In a very successful season for many FHC sports, the one that seemed to get overlooked was the FHC equestrian team. Not only was the team district champs, but they went on to win regionals and finish sixth in the state. It was the first time in three years that the equestrian team has made it to the state finals. For senior Abby Deweerd, who has been on the team since she was a sophomore, it was a good way to finish her high school equestrian career.

“It was really bittersweet going into my last event at states,” Abby said. “I knew it would be my last event, but it was amazing since we went so far in my last year.”

The team didn’t always cruise to victories. They often needed to be at their highest level to keep advancing through districts and regionals. Winning regionals was especially impressive as last year the season ended after finishing third at the regional competition. In order to surpass last year’s season, the team had to put in the work to reap the rewards.

“We had multiple practices a week,” Abby said. “We went over all the patterns so we could get them down.”

The future of the team next season appears to be bright. With sophomore Jenna Sitarski returning for another chance at a state championship, she will use her veteran experience. Abby has nothing but the utmost confidence that Jenna is more than capable of doing great things in the sport.

“Jenna is an amazing equestrian,” Abby said. “I have no doubt that she’ll continue to do very well in her equestrian career.”

For Abby, this sport has been everything to her for the past three years. With equestrian gaining little attention around the halls of FHC, this team has captured all of Abby’s.

“The past three years the equestrian team has taught me a lot about hard work and dedication,” Abby said. “You have to take care of your horse and put in a lot of time and energy. It has taught me a lot about teamwork. Our team has gotten really close, and I really enjoy it.”