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California Riding Magazine • March, 2009 Albion College by Kim F. Miller |
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At first glance, the small but prominent liberal arts school Albion College in Albion, MI might have seemed out of place at this year’s Equine Affaire in Pomona. But anyone with their finger on the pulse of the collegiate equestrian scene would have understood immediately. Although Albion, located near Michigan’s southern border, does not offer an equine science degree, it has everything else an equestrian enthusiast could want. Established in 1835, the private college with a student population of 1,900 built the Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center in 2004. Since then the facility has doubled in size to keep pace with student demand. The equestrian component was proposed by 2003 Albion alumna Randi Heathman, who is now senior assistant director of admission and an active dressage enthusiast. She wrote her thesis on how using 340 acres of lovely college land to build a riding program would be a great idea for the school. She was wrong about one thing, however. “I estimated that it would draw an average of 15 students a year,” Randi happily recounts. “Instead the Held Center has drawn 25 to 30 new students every year since it opened.” About half of the roughly 50 students who ride at Albion are from out of state, versus a general student population that consists of 88 percent Michigan residents.
Robinson Hall, located on Albion's Quadrangle, is one of the The Held Center was initially created to meet the needs of academically-minded students who wanted to continue with or begin riding as a hobby. “The common theme among the students who’ve joined the riding program is that they don’t want to sacrifice the quality of their education in order to maintain their horse interests at a first rate facility,” Randi explains. Students can ride Albion’s show-caliber school horses or board their own at school. As members of Albion’s varsity hunt seat team or intercollegiate western and dressage clubs, Albion equestrians compete against teams from other schools and also hold their own on the local and regional open show circuits in those disciplines. Throughout the year, the Held Center hosts a myriad of competitions during which students can both compete and learn the ropes of various show management positions.
An overhead shot of the Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center Held Center director George Halkett believes in teaching all facets of horsemanship. Shows at Albion are opportunities to pair student volunteers with professional ring stewards and other staff so they can learn that aspect of the horse business. Earning approval as a British Horse Society riding establishment is one of the newest feathers in Albion’s colorful cap. Starting this fall, Albion will offer two formats for earning the world-renowned status of BHS certified riding instructor. The first format, a four-year set-up, is for students simultaneously pursuing an academic degree. The second is a two-year program for those solely interested in their BHS certification. In either case, those who pass the BHS tests, administered by UK examiners, will get the educational equivalent of a fast pass to management positions in the equestrian world. “They’ll go directly to being an instructor, a barn or facility manager,” George explains. Those who earn both the BHS certification and an academic degree have even more potential in the business side of the equestrian profession, he asserts. As an example, he cites the appeal of having a business manager at the Held Center who can easily navigate veterinary bills for the school’s nearly 40 horses. “One of my first accountants was not a horse person and because she didn’t understand the terminology, everything took twice as long.” In its first year, Albion’s BHS program will accept 10 students: five who are also on an academic track and five solely focused on the BHS path. In the second year, George plans to double that. He’s already set his sights on hiring one of the program’s first graduates to help him at the Center, as it will likely have grown even further by that time. RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB As the Held Equestrian Center’s growth attests, George was the right man for the job. A BHS graduate himself, he has 30 years of experience working internationally in the horse industry. The Scotland native served in the British Army as a member of the Queen’s Household Cavalry. Throughout his career he has competed at international competitions and trained horses and riders who have reached the international level.
Two Kraft horse walkers allow horses to be kept fit George has run facilities with anywhere from 20 to 300 horses. In the late 1990s, he designed and oversaw construction of a 300-horse facility for an elite club in Istanbul, Turkey. As the club’s director, he ran several international competitions, including the FEI Samsung International in dressage and show jumping and a leg of the Volvo World Cup in show jumping. His students are his best advertisements. They have appeared in everything from schooling shows to international level competitions in dressage and jumping, including the FEI Samsung International, the Volvo World Cup and the International Intercollegiate World Championships. Prior to his arrival at Albion to start the equestrian program in 2004, George directed the high school riding program at Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Massachusetts. There his students won four national titles in three years, including the Interscholastic Equestrian Association National championships in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and the Interscholastic Dressage Association National championship in 2002. In addition, he coached the Stoneleigh-Burnham team to a silver medal at the Northeast Junior/Young Riders Dressage Championships in 2003. He holds many certificates, including an international trainer’s passport, and has received numerous awards.
Ample individual grass turnout is a unique feature of the Held Center. Teaching students and seeing them progress are the most gratifying aspects of his directorship, George says. Whether it’s a seasoned rider scaling a big jump or a neophyte nailing down her diagonals, his position delivers daily rewards. Growth is paramount to job satisfaction. “I like to have a facility that is run in a very professional manner with a lot of attention to detail,” he explains. “And I like to build and grow, which you can’t do if you are not generating enough income. The money we generate here is put back into the program. We are very fortunate in that way because it enables us to keep growing over the years.” Nobody is more grateful for that than the students, including Southern Californian Elaine Ding. She knew of Albion because her mother is an alumna but it was the college’s equine accommodations that sparked her interest. Elaine had been a relatively casual english rider throughout her youth and a visit to Albion’s “gorgeous equestrian center” inspired her to break from her previous focus on California schools. As a member of Albion’s varsity hunt seat team she takes lessons twice weekly and usually shows twice a month. It’s an easily manageable balance between riding and going after a double major in history and political science, she says. Elaine came to Albion without a horse, but remedied that soon when George Halkett’s horse, Golden Son, struck her father’s fancy. Elaine and the big chestnut Hanoverian have made steady progress with coaching from George and from Jana Armstrong, Albion’s hunt seat coach. “I finally understand what it means to ride a horse in a frame,” Elaine enthuses about the horsemanship foundations she’s already learned at Albion. The academics are first rate, too. Elaine likens the student-teacher ratio at Albion to that of a small high school. “They are not given in a giant lecture hall,” she explains. “It’s small classes where you actually can get to know your professors.”
Albion is known for its rigorous curriculum and small class size. East and West meet in the Albion dorm where Elaine rooms with Liz Grimes of Boston. Liz knew of George Halkett from her Stoneleigh-Burnham high school days and she welcomed the chance to reunite with him. High standards for academics and equestrian sports were the main reason Liz chose the school. “There’s not too many places where you can find that,” she says. Over the summer, Liz competed her Belgian Warmblood in the 3’6” to 4’ jumper divisions on the open A circuit in South Carolina. Maintaining that competitive edge while back at school has been feasible thanks to Albion’s facilities and staff. “George pushes me just as hard as any of my other trainers,” Liz comments. The college has a pioneering heritage, originally serving the educational needs of settlers’ children and Indians alike. Albion also is one of the earliest Midwest schools to introduce coeducation.
Elizabeth Grimes, Albion class of 2012, and her mare Roxanne compete on the "A" jumper circuit and train at the Held Center. In 1999, Albion adopted “Liberal Arts at Work,” a distinct and compelling vision for its future. Central to the vision is the enhancement of the College’s liberal arts curriculum with the addition of the First-Year Experience, Pre-Professional Institutes and the Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. Any college-bound equine enthusiast should consider Albion. “We have so many different kinds of riding going on here that everybody is going to fit in,” says Elaine. Hunter/jumpers, dressage, western, eventing and even side saddle are part of the Held Center program. Even equestrians accustomed to sunny, warm climates should come, she laughs. “The weather did take some getting used to,” says the Arcadia native. “But it’s not that bad once you get here. You get to buy more clothes because the key is layering!”
Elaine Ding, Albion class of 2012, poses with her horse, Elaine leaves her horse at Albion through the summer. He is well cared for there by the staff, including being ridden by Held associate director Danielle Menteer, and gets ample downtime in one of the Center’s 43 half-acre grass pastures. Through the snowy season, Elaine and her contemporaries ride in the Held Center’s 400’ x 100’ indoor arena. It is frequently split in two with a portable fence to facilitate more uses and it enables year-round schooling and hosting of hunter/jumper, western and dressage shows. The Center is also the only approved U.S. Pony Club riding center in the Great Lakes region, a status it attained in 2007, and it plans to host zone championships for the area’s Interscholastic Equestrian Association (high school) competitors. Community open houses designed to introduce neighbors to horses and equine care are a regular complement to competitions and everyday lessons.
For more information, visit www.albion.edu.
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