Anyone can join the Concord High School Equestrian team, currently made up of nine horse-loving students in grades 8-12.

Part of the New Hampshire High School Equestrian Teams organization, or NHHSET, the group includes both riders and members of the “ground team.”

Team Advisor and Rundlett Middle School teacher Darcy Ferry said the CHS club meets at Abaris Stables in Concord. “We start our meetings in September with information and recruitment. Also in September we organize our fundraisers for the year.”

New Hampshire schools compete in districts. Concord belongs to District 5.

“The teams we compete against are Prospect Mountain High School, Merrimack Valley High School, Kearsarge Regional High School and the New Hampton School,” said Ferry. “The team competes at the district level for the first four shows.”

The State Championship Show will take place Sunday, May 23, at the Tack Shack at 154 Martin Road in Fremont.

Nobody needs to own or even ride a horse to take part in the fun.

“If you were a [student] at Concord High School or even at the middle school level you can join. We have riders from eighth grade through senior year in high school. We also have middle school students on our ground team.”

Members of the ground team support the riders in cleaning, training and feeding their horses. They also compete in knowledge competitions at the shows.

The only requirement to join the club is a love for horses.

Current Concord riders include captains Carlee Blake and Taryn Poisson, fellow riders Kasey Czarnecki, Kylie Harrison, Sarah Hunton, Emily Pollack and Amalia Tomas, and ground crew members Ava Hamel and Alizah Johnson.

Current Concord team coaches include Linda Smith (head coach), Nicole  Czarnecki (jump/games coach) and Ashley Colby (ground crew coach).