KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
LOS FRESNOS — Each year high school athletes sign on to play at the college level. It has become a common theme for athletes here in the Valley.
However, Los Fresnos’ senior Claire Cherrington shook it up a bit when the senior became the first athlete from Los Fresnos High School to sign a letter of intent in equestrian riding to Schreiner University in Kerrville.
“It was an exciting experience getting to tour the campus,” Cherrington said. “They presented their different sports in their dining hall and by this time I had already spoken with their coach. I reached out to Schreiner and I applied and got accepted. I got to meet a few of the girls, it was surreal because at first I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it there, but when I sat and talked with the coach it was all like a dream come true for me.”
In the fall, Schreiner is expanding its varsity programs with groups that will compete against other colleges. Some of the new varsity programs are band, cheerleading, choir, wrestling and equestrian riding.
“Riding horses definitely takes a lot of work,” Cherrington said. “It’s not like throwing or catching a ball, the horse has a mind of its own, and when you’re on an equestrian team, you don’t ride your own horse. You ride a strange horse that you watch someone else ride. The challenge is you get maybe five minutes with that horse and you have to go out and compete with it. You have to perform as best you can and do your best to control the horse.”
Cherrington will be a part of the inaugural season under coach Ashley Brune.
“I think there will be a lot of learning curves, our coach has a lot of experience,” said Cherrington. I don’t think it will be too much of a challenge, but it will be something different.”
Cherrington is no stranger to riding horses, it is something she has a passion for and has grown up doing. She began competing nationally when she was in junior high and kept her career going throughout her high school career.
She began competing on the national level under the American Quarter Horse Assn. Through her time in the saddle, Cherrington has had a successful career with various awards in the All Around Classes in performance from Aggie Circuit, San Antonio Livestock show scholarship, Reserve Champion in horsemanship from the National Snaffle Bit Assn. along with winning the Champion Novice Youth award.
“It is hard for me to wake up in the morning, I love my sleep,” Cherrington said. “It’s going to be different not having my mom coming in and turning on my light, it’s going to be hard not having someone there, but I’m very independent but I’m ready, I’m excited. I have a few friends that ride horses and I get asked about the sport. Most people don’t know you can compete at the college level.”