Inspired by her trainer, a former Baylor equestrian, to pursue horseback riding as a collegiate athlete, Iris Perlioni has recently committed to UC Davis Division 1 Equestrian Team. At only eight years old, Iris began competitively riding in horse shows and since then, Perlioni has proven that investing her time in a sport that she admires is certainly rewarding.
“In 2020, when my family was still living in Maryland, I visited Lake Forest for the summer and trained at a barn. I took a pony named Pebbles and went to a horse show in Michigan, winning nearly every overall award we could at the children’s pony level,” Perlioni said. “This motivated me to work to achieve more things in higher divisions.”
As a devoted athlete, Iris partakes in the Junior Hunters which is an equestrian competition for teenagers under the age of eighteen. She also takes a few equitation classes weekly. While the Hunters primarily judge the horse and its overall appearance when jumping over fences, the equitation is oriented on the participant’s position.
An average week of training for Iris at Buena Vista Farm consists of riding five days a week and lessening two days a week, which includes practicing jumping. On her days off, she conditions her horse in preparation for shows.
Just this past summer, Iris competed with her horse, Channy, at USEF National Junior Hunter Finals. Not expecting much, she surprised herself when she finished in third place out of about fifty participants after moving up to that division not long before.
“There are so many highs and lows in this sport. It’s especially hard mentally, but when it all clicks it brings you so much joy,” Perlioni said.
During the recruitment process, Iris’s mom had been her biggest advocate, working every day to support her dreams. Her dad also has shown his support by coming to Iris’s shows, as well as the friends she’s made from traveling to horse shows.
In preparation for recruitment, Iris emailed coaches before they were allowed to write her back. Aware that these coaches would be busy, she knew if her name popped up in their email, they would be more likely to think of her as a recruit. Iris also reached out to the girls present on the team to learn more about the dynamics of the program at UC Davis.
Ultimately, Iris chose UC Davis because of their strong team chemistry. For Iris, it all came together when she visited Davis, remarking upon the strong team chemistry and her now chosen enthusiasm about the animal science major.
“I am so grateful to be given this wonderful opportunity from Coach Humphrey. Go Ags!” said Perlioni.
