2008 Woodie Awards
Athletes of the Week
Yvonne Li '06 and Katie Maroney '05
Issue date: 4/14/05 Section: Sports
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Last Week's Athlete of the Week, Yvonne Li '06, made the most of the high-strung Thoroughbred she drew at New England Zone competitions this past Saturday, finishing eighth in the Walk-Trot Division.
Name: Chia Yen Li (Yvonne) '06
Home Town: Kaohsiung, Taiwan
High School: St. Agnes High School
House: Wilson House
Years riding: 1 1/2
Event: Walk-Trot Equitation
Favorite event: Hunters and Equitation
Name of your horse: I don't have a horse, but my favorite horse at Smith is Pebbles. She is the first horse I rode at Smith.
Best show: IHSA Regional Championship for Zone 1 Region 3 at Smith this past Saturday. I thought I had lost it, but I came in second in my division and I am going to Zones this Saturday.
What are your goals in the sport? Simply to know more about the horses and to enjoy riding.
What are your academic interests? Psychology
What do you like about riding? My friend, Layne Chaya, introduced me to this sport and I could not be happier ever since. I love horses and I love learning what I can do with them. I really value the process of exploring the personalities and idiosyncrasies of different horses and learning to cope with them.
What do you like about Smith's Equestrian team? Everyone on the team is very friendly and supportive. I would not have made it this far without my teammates. For every show, we gather around by the ring to support each other. There is always a genuine concern to help everyone to perform at her best. The devotion some of my teammates have toward this sport has inspired me to push myself forward and to want to make them proud. Our coach, Suzanne Payne, is another reason I love about Smith's Equestrian Team. Sue is very supportive. She emphasizes positive attitudes toward ourselves and our riding skills. She had transformed me from someone who barely know how to execute a posting trot to who I am now.
How/where do you train? I usually ride twice a week here at Smith with Suzanne Payne and Doreen Garde, but for this week, I am riding every day and sometimes even twice a day to prepare for Zones. My lessons emphasize basic equitation. Having both Sue and Doreen as instructors has benefited my riding tremendously. Doreen is the other person who inspired me to love riding and keep challenging myself. She taught me to have fun and not to be afraid to experiment with different styles of riding. Her enthusiasm in this sport kept me moving forward.
Name: Chia Yen Li (Yvonne) '06
Home Town: Kaohsiung, Taiwan
High School: St. Agnes High School
House: Wilson House
Years riding: 1 1/2
Event: Walk-Trot Equitation
Favorite event: Hunters and Equitation
Name of your horse: I don't have a horse, but my favorite horse at Smith is Pebbles. She is the first horse I rode at Smith.
Best show: IHSA Regional Championship for Zone 1 Region 3 at Smith this past Saturday. I thought I had lost it, but I came in second in my division and I am going to Zones this Saturday.
What are your goals in the sport? Simply to know more about the horses and to enjoy riding.
What are your academic interests? Psychology
What do you like about riding? My friend, Layne Chaya, introduced me to this sport and I could not be happier ever since. I love horses and I love learning what I can do with them. I really value the process of exploring the personalities and idiosyncrasies of different horses and learning to cope with them.
What do you like about Smith's Equestrian team? Everyone on the team is very friendly and supportive. I would not have made it this far without my teammates. For every show, we gather around by the ring to support each other. There is always a genuine concern to help everyone to perform at her best. The devotion some of my teammates have toward this sport has inspired me to push myself forward and to want to make them proud. Our coach, Suzanne Payne, is another reason I love about Smith's Equestrian Team. Sue is very supportive. She emphasizes positive attitudes toward ourselves and our riding skills. She had transformed me from someone who barely know how to execute a posting trot to who I am now.
How/where do you train? I usually ride twice a week here at Smith with Suzanne Payne and Doreen Garde, but for this week, I am riding every day and sometimes even twice a day to prepare for Zones. My lessons emphasize basic equitation. Having both Sue and Doreen as instructors has benefited my riding tremendously. Doreen is the other person who inspired me to love riding and keep challenging myself. She taught me to have fun and not to be afraid to experiment with different styles of riding. Her enthusiasm in this sport kept me moving forward.