By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- For the second year in a row, senior Emily Desmond (Braintree, Mass.) and junior Abigail Abbott (Wareham, Mass.) will be co-captains of the Bridgewater State University equestrian team.

Last season, the duo qualified for the International Horse Show Association Zone 1 Region 4 Championships in Connecticut, and coach Christine Murphy is looking for them to lead the way once again.

"It's a dream to have two athletes like that who have so much experience," said Murphy. "It's a godsend."

The Bears open the 2025-25 season on Sunday at the Century Mill Stables in Bolton, Mass., in a show hosted by Brandeis University.

That will be one of five shows during the fall semester and others will take place beginning in March.

Desmond has advanced to the IHSA Zone 1 Region 4 Championships two years in a row.

She placed third in intermediate flats last March and was 10th in the limit flat class as a sophomore in 2024.

"Her dedication is very good," said Murphy. "She grew up riding horses."

Abbott made her IHSA Zone 1 Region 4 debut last March and was third in intermediate fences and fifth in intermediate flat.

"She's been doing this since she was little," said Murphy. "She's very brave and has had a lot of great trainers growing up. She's extremely dedicated."

Desmond and Abbott are eyeing taking the next steps this season and making it to the nationals, which take place in North Carolina next May.

"I'm expecting them to both make it to nationals," said Murphy. "That's the goal. They are both capable of it. I have all the confidence and the faith that they will."

The equestrian team, which joined the varsity ranks at BSU in 2018, has a full roster of 16 riders this season.

There are nine returners plus five freshmen and two newcomers with four seniors.

"We've really been pushing more exposure over the last year and that opened it up to more interest," said Murphy.

Among the returning riders is senior Rianne Wyckstrom (Hudson, Mass.), who took part in the IHSA Zone 1 Region 4 Championships as a sophomore. She placed fourth in intermediate flat.

"All of the (returners) have improved," said Murphy. They were very committed over the summer. They all took lessons and kept themselves polished and practiced. I was thrilled to see how they kept up with riding. They didn't skip a beat."

Sophomore Melanie Schick-Fernandez (Abington, Mass.) "is showing a lot of promise in moving up," said Murphy.

Another sophomore, Julia Max (Salem, N.H.), "made some significant strides over the summer in her riding and I fully expect her to be better.''

The roster also includes seniors Maeve Murray (Narshfield, Mass.) and Antonina O'Grady (Holbrook, Mass.), juniors Rahima Ali (New York, N.Y.) and Alyson McKeon (Worcester, Mass.) plus sophomores Becky Costa (Foxborough, Mass.) and Kaitlin Volpe (Millis, Mass.).

Murphy likes what she has seen from the freshman class that includes Angelina Ferrara (Dartmouth, Mass.), Katie Kavanagh (Duxbury, Mass.), Kathryn McCarron (North Attleboro, Mass.), Chelsea Murphy (Raynham, Mass.) and Julia Ouellette (Millbury, Mass.).

"What I love about them all is they've come together and done so much bonding and camaraderie," said Murphy of the first-year riders. "They're all engaged. They're all making a significant impact."

BSU was sixth in Region 4 last season and Murphy is optimistic about the team moving up in the rankings.

"I feel very good about the team,'' she said.. "I'm very excited about this year.

"I think we'll be in the top five. We have every division filled this year and I have high hopes we are going to be the high-point team in at least one show.''

BSU will be hosting a show on Sunday, Nov. 2 at the Dorbill Stables in Bridgewater.