REHOBOTH, Mass. – When the Johnson & Wales University athletics department canceled the remainder of the spring season due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it was easy to put away the lacrosse nets and lock up the baseball field. That's not so simple at the JWU Equine Center where a pair of riders on the Intercollegiate Dressage Association equestrian team are part of a skeleton crew taking care of the horses and the facility.
When they are not in class or riding with the team, juniors Samantha Kondej and Allison Bullman work as student assistants at the equine center. After the IDA season was canceled and the university went to online learning, the two agreed to remain in the area and continue to work at the facility. Each of them are at the equestrian center four-to-five days a week for five-to-six hour shifts.
Despite the reduced staff, the day-to-day operations remain the same as horses need fed and exercised and the stalls need to be cleaned. Throughout the week they drop hay, maintain the three riding arenas and clean the facility. Currently there are 23 horses at the equine center, but some will soon return home with their owners for the summer.
While the horses' basic needs are being met, they are not getting the same level of exercise they are used to during the year. Between classes and both equestrian programs, horses get worked out six days a week under normal circumstances, but with no spring riding season and the move to online classes, they are only getting out twice a week currently.
In addition to their dedication to the horses, another reason why Bullman and Kondej stayed in the area is both of them live off campus and have leases that run through the end of the spring term. A native of Indianapolis, Ind. and majoring in equine studies, Bullman only lives at 15 minutes from the equestrian center. Kondej is majoring in public health and maintains an apartment in Providence.
"I chose to stay in Providence because I have an apartment and I was offered the continuance of my SA position at the equine center," Kondej said. "I loved the opportunity to continue working through all of this. Since I could continue to work, ride, and be with the horses I couldn't pass up the opportunity."
Similar to a lot of students, both Bullman and Kondej have taken an occasional online class, but have had to make the adjustment to moving all of their classes online. It's been difficult in particular for Bullman as her equine studies major requires a lot of direct contact with the horses.
"Distance learning has been tough for me to adjust to," Bullman said. "I like being face-to-face with a professor and being in a classroom setting helps me be more engaged in the material than when I am at home."
Even though they get interact with the horses on a nearly daily basis, Bullman and Kondej said it's not the same without their teammates and the comradery they share. It was a bittersweet 2019-20 competition season for the IDA program. While they were able to compete in a number of shows during the fall, the Wildcats were poised to repeat as region champions and earn a bid to the IDA National Championships. With both riders back for next season, head coach Crystal Taylor's squad should be able to pick up where they left off.
