Porter's student Heather Flynn '14 will join the Division I equestrian program at Southern Methodist University next year. Heather signed her letter of intent at a ceremony held in her honor on Wednesday, April 16.This past fall, Heather competed in the Equitation, placing 7th at the Zone 1 Maclay Regionals in Fairfield, Conn., and advancing to the ASPCA Maclay Finals in Lexington, Ky. She also competed at the USEF/Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal Finals in Harrisburg, Pa.; the New England Equitation Championships in Springfield, Mass.; and the USET Platinum Performance Talent Search Finals in New Jersey. Heather accumulated points at home shows nationwide to qualify for each of these finals. In the spring, Heather advanced to compete in the Jumpers. She spent January through March in Wellington, Fla., where she competed at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), held January 9 through March 31. The WEF is the world's largest and longest running equestrian competition.
Heather trained with Porter's equestrian team her freshman and sophomore years before moving to Norfield Farm in Newtown, Conn. She notes that her time on Porter's equestrian team, which participates in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, helped to prepare her for the recruitment process as IEA competition riders are assigned a horse at random. "This type of competition tests the rider's ability to adjust to the circumstances and how well they can execute the course given to them," shares Heather.
Heather looks forward to her riding career at SMU, "I am beyond excited and extremely honored to be provided with this opportunity. I cannot wait to represent my school by doing what I enjoy most, and I am thrilled to integrate my athletics with challenging academics."
