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Freshman Cindy Hartley wins top medal at World Cup equestrian event
RELEASED: Nov. 7, 2002
DANVILLE, KY—You could say Cindy Hartley has the best of both worlds by attending Centre College in the Bluegrass.
She’s happy with the education she’s receiving at Centre, and also to be in the middle of horse country.
Hartley, a freshman, is a member of the U.S. Saddle Seat equestrian team that took a gold medal at the World Cup competition in Robertson, South Africa, Sept. 27- Oct 8.
The 10-member U.S. team, split equally between five-gaited and three-gaited divisions, took gold and silver, respectively, at the four-day event.
Hartley competes in the five-gaited division where horses perform three natural gaits (walk, trot, canter) and two man-made gaits (the slow gait and rack). All teams rode horses they had never ridden before, and were judged individually for a total group score.
“The trip to South Africa was wonderful,” Hartley said. “Some of the friends I made e-mail me every day.”
Hartley continues to travel to Louisville every weekend to work with her trainer, and says that competing on a national and international level is difficult during her first year of college. She even considered taking a semester off.
“I was really excited about coming to Centre, and the Dean advised me not to miss my first semester of college. I’m really glad now that I didn't take the semester off because I would have missed a lot that goes on here.”
The International Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup is held every two years, alternating between venues in the U.S. and South Africa. Six years ago the competition became multinational and is now administrated by the International Saddle Seat Equitation Association (ISSEA).
To learn more about the World Cup event, go to http://www.saddleseatworldcupusa.com.
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