When Auburn equestrian head coach Greg Williams traveled up to Ohio to see then high school senior Lucy Igoe in an equestrian competition, he went with the intent of seeing her skills and attempt to recruit her to Auburn's equestrian team.
There was just one problem: it was a nighttime show and he still had not seen her compete.
"Everything was running late due to rain delays and the practice arena at that time didn't have any lights," Williams said as he recalled the events of that night. "It was so late at night by the time they finally got to her class."
When he finally saw her compete, he was impressed. Igoe managed to have a great round despite the weather and lighting conditions, but it wasn't her skills that impressed Williams the most.
"I won't ever forget watching her with this cute smile on her face," Williams said. "That's what I love more than anything. I love her grit, but her passion shows through too."
As a senior majoring in political science, Igoe is considered one of the top riders for this year's equestrian team. She competes in the Western division and is part of a returning group of riders who are ready to challenge for the NCEA title this year.
Igoe's passion for horseback riding is considered her greatest strength, something that has not gone unnoticed by teammates and coaches.
"She has a lot of insight about horses and she knows what she's talking about," said fellow senior and western rider Bailee Bussey. "If anybody has advice for her she takes it, and she likes to give advice as well."
The roots of Igoe's love for horseback riding stem from her hometown of Powell, Ohio, where she was first put on a horse by her aunt Denise at the age of 7.
Her aunt always owned horses, so Igoe grew up with a desire to ride them.
However, an unfortunate incident to her first horse almost caused her career to end before it began.
"She was named Lady Bug," Igoe said. "We fit each other perfectly because she was little as well, but two years after I got her, she fractured her leg, so she had to be put down."
Igoe said the experience traumatized her, and she took a two-year sabbatical from horseback riding. Gradually she got back into it, and by the time she entered high school it was apparent that she had a real talent for the sport.
It wasn't easy juggling equestrian riding with being a regular teenager, as her commitment caused her to miss out on activities such as high school dances and other social events.
Her friends didn't understand why she was missing out on these things at first, but after she started getting recruited by colleges, they realized how serious she was about being an equestrian.
"I had always had Auburn in mind since it was such a dominant equestrian program," Igoe said. "I took some visits to some other places but nothing felt like it was here at Auburn."
Igoe has racked up numerous career accomplishments at Auburn, including an MVP honor in Auburn's 11-8 victory over Delaware State last year. She has also been named as a first alternate for the 2014 American Quarter Horse Association Collegiate Horsemanship Challenge in Oklahoma City this November.
Still, rather than turn pro at the end of this year, she plans on going into law school. This doesn't mean that she will give up horseback riding completely, though.
"I still have horses with my aunt and I don't think she'll ever get rid of them," Igoe said. "This is something we bond with, so I'll never grow out of riding as long as she wants to do it with me."
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