Sometimes, a technical error is all it takes to destroy someone’s concentration and will to win. But not for champions. They find a way to overcome it and take care of business.
Looking to win its first state championship since 1978, back when gasoline sold for about 70 cents a gallon, the Oxford Equestrian Team prepared for the two-man relay–its final race in the Michigan Interscholastic Horsemanship Association State Championship at the Midland County Fairgrounds in Midland.
The four-day competition took place Oct. 9-12.
Down by seven points, all that was needed for the state championship was a fourth-place or higher finish. The team of Kaitlin Trezil and Bekah Bertapelle rode hard and fast and completed the perfect handoff for a time of 10.571 seconds and the win.
Except that one of the timers had malfunctioned, meaning that Trezil and Bertapelle had to ride again.
Pressure? Perhaps, especially when you consider that missing the handoff or stepping out of bounds would result in disqualification and cost them the state title.
But for these riders, it turned out to be a walk in the park.
Once the timer problem was resolved and after giving their horses some time to compose themselves, Trezil and Bertapelle rode again with a perfect handoff and an even faster time (10.327 seconds) to win their racing class and clinch the state title.
What makes the victory even sweeter is that it came in a race where the girls couldn’t afford to have any mistakes. Bertapelle and Trezil had previously raced in the Indiana Flag Race but had failed to earn any points.
Trezil said she was disappointed to have to race again, but her disappointment turned into a decisive victory.
‘We just needed to do it,? she said. ‘We’ve been doing this for three years, and we know what we’re doing.?
‘It was very exciting and nerve racking,? said Dee Shepard, OET Head Coach, of the team’s first state championship in three decades.
The team placed in 20 out of 24 possible positions throughout the competition and ended up with 267 total points. Second-place team was Grand Haven at 253, followed by Brown City at 222 and Grosse Ile at 218. Several other teams competed as well.
Diana Bertapelle, Bekah’s mother, described the state championship as a team effort.
‘Each girl on our C Team rode well, rode consistently and stayed cool under pressure,? she said. ‘They practiced all year, starting in April. They worked out at the high school weight room all winter long, two nights a week.?
She added: ‘It was no easy victory. The girls were up against the best riders in the State (and in some cases the country) and worked very, very hard for their victory. Each rider had ups and downs, but stayed focused to win the championship.?
The OET A Division team didn’t make it to the state competition, but many of the A riders traveled all the way to Midland to support the C Team.
In the competition, OET started with the Trail Class, where Kristin Gaines and Maria Vitucci rode what Shepard described as ‘beautiful patterns? while Gaines earned first and second-place finishes and Vitucci third and fourth. (All events or classes are double judges, so each rider can earn points twice in each event).
Gaines and Vitucci also placed well in the Western-Reining Class with Gaines receiving two first places and Vitucci two third places. Both girls, along with Amanda Roth, also had multiple placings in the Western Equitation Classes and Showmanship.
Trezil and Bertapelle had double wins in the two-man relay along with great finishes in the Cloverleaf and Dash Race.
‘This was one of the most competitive state meets we have competed in,? said Diana Bertapelle. ‘From the district championship, to the regional championship to the state championship, the dedication, the commitment, and the heart of this team shined through. The support and camaraderie of their teammates who competed in the A division showed what the Oxford Equestrian Team is all about.?
In equestrian competition, A Division teams consist of more than 10 riders, B Division teams have 6-10 riders and C Division teams three to five riders. Shepard said that for Oxford, they felt it would be best to compete using A and C teams.