Smith College, the highly rated liberal arts educational institution for women in Northampton, Massachusetts, has announced that beginning in the fall of 2017 the college’s equestrian team will no longer compete as a varsity sport. The equestrian team will continue to exist as a club sport under the auspices of the student government association rather than the athletics department.
Under the new arrangement, the equestrian team will be able to participate in the same events and compete against the same teams as it had in the past. However, the team will no longer have an on-campus barn.
In announcing the transition to club sport status for the equestrian team, Smith College stated that “the complexities of animal care, barn management, working with outside vendors, and managing liability, along with declining interest in riding among current and prospective students, all factored into the decision.”