My Varsity Sweater

by Madigan Rumley, Varsity Big Red Team rider

When I was nine years old, I joined the Westernaires: a non-profit organization that teaches self-respect, responsibility, and leadership through horsemanship and family participation. At my first ride, I was in proper uniform and chose to model the requisite tan pants, white shirt, and tan bandana. That was my first interaction with our director, Mr. Glen E. Keller Jr., instructor for Varsity Big Red Team. Next, we retrieved our horses and mounted up for the first time. I remember being nervous, but even more excited. My horse’s name was Smokey, he had a terribly bouncy trot and easy temper. Seven years later, after working through the ranks, I find myself on the Varsity Big Red Team, with our director as my instructor, and a horse with a terribly bouncy trot and a difficult temper. My teammates and I were excited as we received our Varsity Red Team sweaters and despite the heat I was elated to put it on. This sweater represents my hard work, sacrifices, and accomplishments.

My hard work started my first year, but increased tenfold a few years later in my my first Red Division year with the challenges of training my horse for high speed drill riding, Nighthorse Ranger training, and Red Division shows. My horse, Bastiaan, was not originally prepared for the chaotic environment of Westernaires with his timid, easily-overwhelmed manner. I work with him even now in tight maneuvers with intimidatingly sturdy horses surrounding him at high speeds. Classroom training involved hours of work inside and outside of Westernaires. In Nighthorse Rangers, the first Red Division team, I spent one hour with my team, and three hours at home studying for tests and diagramming drills every week. For Red Team training, those weekly hours were ramped up to three hours with my team and around twenty-four hours at home studying and diagramming. I completed approximately one thousand color-coded diagrams of maneuvers spanning three separate drills. I was also required to pass several tests for each of these drills, costuming etiquette, and safety. Furthermore, I spent hours working hard to care for my horse and myself in preparation for performances.

My team and I traveled far and wide in buses with our horses on fifty-horse trailers for shows. These trips included a pay off of a few minutes performing after full days of working in the hot sun and less than six hours of sleep each night on high-school gym floors. Making it to Red Team forced me to give up hours of sleep, work, and relationships. The rigorous training on top of my two AP classes in high school resulted in an average of three hours of sleep each night. In addition, I was unable to work or spend much time with friends and family because my afternoons and weekends were completely booked with classwork, diagramming, and studying. My hard work and sacrifices made pursuing this journey difficult but worth it in the end.

All my hard work and sacrifice has resulted in significant feelings of accomplishment inside and outside the organization. My team recently put on a show in Trinidad. Halfway through our drill, the sky opened up and started to hail furiously. We continued without faltering. Normally, I’m too focused to hear the audience, but this time I heard the crowd cheering frantically as we galloped through the downpour.

Wearing my Red Team sweater on Westernaires grounds is certainly a symbol of pride, especially among younger riders who quickly recognize what it represents and look up to me as a role model.  Additionally, I am proud to be on the drill team that has earned the title of best precision mounted drill team at speed in the world at the age of seventeen. My sweater symbolizes the personal growth I achieved. I am a leader, a teammate, a responsible young adult, and optimistic about my future.