Pace Athletics is comprised of many teams, from Football to Swim & Dive to Cross Country. However, there has been a plethora of teams over the course of the Pleasantville campus’ existence that have been cut and sometimes forgotten, now defunct. One of the more recent teams to fall under this category would be the Pace Equestrian team, which was cut in 2012. An anonymous student with over a decade of experience with Equine sports was interviewed to obtain information and personal insight on the elimination of the team and the potential for it to return in the future. 

Equine sports and horse riding used to be very prevalent on campus and in the nearby area. Pace used to own the land that is now Briarcliff High School, where riding horses was common on the large field. The original Equestrian team disbanded in 2012 to allow Pace Athletics to start new programs. Three other athletic programs were also cut at the same time, with those being Track & Field, Tennis, and Golf. The sports that were added in favor of these four were Women’s Lacrosse and Women’s Field Hockey, which are currently both still active teams.  

In 2021, there were discussions of bringing back the Equestrian team, and students were actively scouted with the intention that they would play for the revived team. However, Pace never followed through with this proposal despite the interest.  

One of the most significant concerns that comes with Equine sports is the price, as the cost of horses, the space, and the maintenance alone can already border on a six-figure price point. The financial risk of restarting these programs in Pace’s current financial position does not incentivize them to revive the sport on campus. 

The anonymous student has stated that they see potential in the team returning, as they perceive there to be a demand for equine sports on campus, and that some potential students would be more inclined to choose Pace if we had this programming. Furthermore, many local kids and teens in the extended Pleasantville area ride, which is a significant population that attends this campus. Some other benefits the student listed as reasons why the Equestrian team should return are that the horses could be used for animal psychology courses, equine therapy, environmental science classes, and could open more on-campus jobs for students and faculty. 

Their primary concern is having the program reinstated in the “proper” manner, as horses are complex animals that need a certain level of care and attention. Some notes that were given regarding this point would be that the head coach should also be a professional equine caretaker and that stables or additional facilities should be constructed to the appropriate standard. When the Equestrian team did exist, the horses were originally kept on campus before eventually being moved off the premises. In addition, building a good Equestrian team that can compete well is difficult and faces unique challenges as opposed to other sports. 

While there was a post-COVID interest in reviving the team, Pace has not publicly declared any information regarding the team being reinstated since, and it does not appear likely that it will return unless there is a tangible demand for it from students and they are in a financial position to invest in such a team. If the Equestrian team were to ever return, it would likely not be in the near future.