NCAA.com: Still In The Saddle
Leah Fiorentino’s first year as the executive director of the National Collegiate Equestrian Association hasn’t been a quiet ride.
She has launched a reorganization of the association, including the formation of a board of directors and a national advisory board. She has worked to dispel common misconceptions, including those tied to the price tag of the sport’s four-legged stars. And, most notably, she has met with college administrators and equestrian advocates across the country, all in an effort to rein in enough support to preserve equestrian’s spot in the NCAA.
That NCAA tie was established in 2002, when equestrian was added to the emerging sports for women program, which is overseen by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics and helps women’s sports become full-fledged NCAA championships. To remain on the list of emerging sports, a sport must grow to 40 varsity teams within 10 years or risk being voted off the list by each division.
