Freshman rider Lucy Cubbage gallops into IHSA regionals at Lander

Freshman rider Lucy Cubbage didn’t expect her collegiate equestrian journey at USCA to begin with a regional qualification at the upcoming Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Regional Competition, set for Saturday, March 7, at Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Cubbage secured her spot by winning the limit fences at her final regular-season competition at Lander on Feb. 22.

“I’m definitely excited that I qualified,” she said. Cubbage will be the only student from the USCA Hunt Seat team to compete at the regional level on Saturday.

A lifelong connection to horses

Cubbage did not initially plan to compete in the IHSA when she started her college journey. Encouraged by a close friend on the team, she decided to give it a try. 

Cubbage has been riding her entire life. Her mother, a horse trainer who passed away a few years ago, introduced Cubbage to the sport, which later shaped her passion for competitions.

“I’ve always been competitive,” Cubbage said. “I’ve always had horses outside of school and I figured I’d give it a try in college.”

A lifelong Aiken resident, Cubbage said remaining in the city for college felt like a natural choice. “If I want to do this for the rest of my life, why would I leave Aiken?” she said. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

She was dual enrolled at USCA during high school, making the transition seamless. Staying local also allowed her to remain connected to the area’s thriving equestrian community.

“She’s worked very, very hard and it’s obviously paid off,” said Kate Bailey, head coach of USCA’s Hunt Seat team. “She’s one of my most dedicated riders.”

Trust in her coach

Cubbage credits much of her growth this season to Bailey, who has led the Hunt Seat team for two years.

“I absolutely love Kate,” Cubbage said. “She’s the nicest trainer I’ve ever met in my life. She gives amazing critiques and she’s great to work with.”

Practices are held weekly at Bailey’s farm off Silver Bluff Road in Aiken. Team members are required to take one lesson and participate in one hack each week. Lessons involve guided instruction over fences, while hacks allow riders to independently school horses.

Because IHSA competitions require riders to draw a random horse and compete without prior familiarity, Cubbage said riding a wide variety of horses in practice is critical preparation.

“At the IHSA shows, you draw a random horse and go straight into the ring,” she explained. “Riding a variety of horses is definitely very helpful.”

Competing in one of the toughest divisions

Cubbage qualified in the Limit fences division on Feb. 22, and she is considered a competitive middle tier based on previous show experience. Riders are placed into divisions through a formal record review process.

Although she also competed in Intermediate Flat, a higher level, she earned her regional bid in Limit fences.

“It’s definitely harder to qualify as a freshman,” she said. “I won three classes over the season in that division, and I still barely qualified. It’s the biggest class and the hardest one to qualify out of.”

At regionals, Cubbage will compete against riders from schools including Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Charleston, Converse, Georgia Southern, Lander, South Carolina, Wesleyan and Wofford. While IHSA is considered club competition, several of those institutions also field NCAA Division I equestrian programs.

If she places first or second at regionals, she will advance to Zones in Savannah, Georgia, with Nationals following that round in Tryon, North Carolina.

Looking ahead

Though she is only in her first year of collegiate competition, Cubbage has long-term ambitions in the horse world. A finance major, she hopes to one day become a professional horse trainer. “It’s a very hard profession, and you don’t make a lot of money,” she said. “But that is my dream.”

Regardless of where her career path ultimately leads, one thing is certain: horses will remain central.

“Either way,” she said, “I would love to always have horses in my life.”

 

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