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From riding to coaching, Sara Parr has been around the sport of equestrian for as long as she can remember.
“When I was 3, my mom put on a movie that had a clip of a girl riding a horse and I used to make her play it over and over again,” Parr said. “And my love for the sport grew from there.”
In August, Parr was named the assistant coach for the Georgia equestrian team. However, Parr has been a Bulldog for quite some time.
Parr was a former rider for Georgia and a part of the 2014 national championship team. While riding at Georgia, Parr was named NCEA First-Team All-American and captured a significant amount of Most Outstanding Player titles.
“Georgia has been my dream school for as long as I can remember.”
– Sara Parr, Georgia assistant equestrian coach
Georgia began competing at the UGA Equestrian Complex in 2009. Located in Bishop, Georgia, the establishment is the setting of Georgia’s home meets. Parr, 9 years old at the time of the establishment, hung a Georgia equestrian poster in her bedroom.
“Georgia has been my dream school for as long as I can remember,” Parr said. “It is so exciting to be back but in a completely different way.”
Parr has been coaching alongside Meghan Boenig, head coach of Georgia equestrian since 2001. Before Parr was named assistant coach, she coached as a volunteer for South Carolina.
“I have a lot more responsibility now,” Parr said. “There are more horses here at Georgia and the roster is a lot bigger. I have already learned so much from Coach Boenig and continue to learn and grow everyday.”
Parr hopes to capture the national championship title once again, but her goals for the season go beyond just winning. Parr said she wants to see success in the arena but also wants to teach the women on the team.
“It’s also extremely helpful [Parr] rode for Georgia because she knows where we are coming from and is right there with us.”
– Annabeth Payne, Georgia equestrian rider
Annabeth Payne, a junior from Tallahassee, Florida, said Parr’s presence as an assistant coach has been nothing but beneficial for the team.
“Coach Parr has built up our character and our work ethic,” Payne said. “It’s also extremely helpful she rode for Georgia because she knows where we are coming from and is right there with us.”
Georgia’s equestrian squad has seen multiple victories throughout the years, capturing the SEC title over Auburn last spring. On Friday, Georgia, with Parr helping to lead, looks to defeat Auburn at home once again.
“Parr has definitely improved the team as a whole,” Payne said. “We hit a rough patch in the beginning of the season, but we are in a groove now and I am excited to see where we go from here.”
