International student rides for Berry equestrian team

Joshua Mabry, Campus Carrier Asst. Sports Editor

poor old bill — Sophomore Lizzy Madeiros has had her horse Bentley, pictured above, since she was 13 years old. Photo by Andrea Hill | Campus Carrier

Sophomore Lizzy Madeiros traveled from Bermuda to Berry College to be a part of the equestrian team.

When searching for colleges, Madeiros knew that she wanted to go to a college in the United States, preferably in the southeastern part of the country due to its warmer climate.

She researched colleges with equestrian teams and came across Berry.

“I looked further into it and ended up coming to visit, and I fell in love with it,” Madeiros said.

Being at Berry reminds Madeiros of being at home because of the small population and the sense that everyone knows each other.

“I really like the sense of community,” Madeiros said. “I feel very welcome and at home here. Everyone is very friendly.”

Madeiros shed light on some differences between Bermuda and the United States.

She said there are more places to eat and shop here.

“It’s like everything is on a larger scale in America,” Madeiros said.

Madeiros said that she has had a love for horses almost her entire life. She has been riding horses for nearly 10 years and competitively riding for eight years.

Madeiros has one horse named Bentley that she got when she was 13 years old. Bentley is an off-track thoroughbred horse, which means that he was born to be a race horse, according to Madeiros.

The upcoming equestrian season will be exciting, according to Madeiros. She learned a lot last season about how disciplines and styles of riding are different in the United States from Bermuda. The biggest difference she has noticed is position and how people hold themselves.

“This year, hopefully I’ll be competing more,” Madeiros said. “I’m real excited about that. I’ve been working hard and I kept working over the summer. I’m hoping it’s going to be a really good season.”

The best parts of being on the equestrian team, according to Madeiros, are getting to ride on several different courses at no extra charge and being able to be with athletes who love riding horses as much as she does.

Margaret Ellington, head equestrian coach, said that Madeiros is great to have on the team because she is a team player and very coachable.

Madeiros improved a lot as a freshman last year Ellington said.

“I really expect good things at competitions from her this year,” Ellington said.