The chances of her interning in Wellington, Florida for the Phelps Media Group internship were slim. After all, the internship program invited every college equestrian in the country to apply. As senior Glynis Williams approached the final week of her fall semester at Hillsdale College, she never thought that, in a matter of days, she would board a plane for Florida.
“I had every intention of graduating this spring,” Williams said. “When I got the email to apply, I was sitting in the kitchen with my parents and my mom said, ‘Apply right now.’ I wasn’t planning on leaving school the next semester, but the stars aligned. It is literally my dream job.”
Of the selected five interns, Williams was the only student who had applied to the internship for the first time.
“Wellington is the mecca of horse shows,” said junior Gianna Marchese, Williams’ teammate. “Anyone who’s anyone competes in these shows. Those people have been riding their entire lives. And those horses can probably do a lower-level show without a rider even on them.”
A few days after wrapping up her finals, Williams left for Florida and began working after New Year’s Day.
As a speech major and a competitive rider, the internship was the perfect hybrid. Williams was placed with a subset of the company, p.s.dressage.com, a blog that follows dressage news, an equestrian discipline with roots in military manuevers. Her duties include submitting articles and photos of shows to the website.
“It’s definitely not a job where anyone who likes horses can apply, or anyone who doesn’t like horses can apply,” she said. “This internship requires a broad background like marketing, advertising, and journalism.”
The website covers the news of the industry with a balanced perspective, an element of the internship Williams appreciated, considering the company’s prestigious clientele.
“They tell straight news stories,” she said. “You’d think clients would get special treatment, but the news is considered a separate task. Even though there is a lot of money and a lot of ego in this industry, we cover the people who do well in competition— not necessarily clients.”
Danielle Cole, Williams’ equestrian coach at Hillsdale College, thinks that Williams’ experience will improve her riding in the future.
“I think the more you encourage yourself by watching other individuals who are at an even higher level, the more determined you are to be a better rider,” she said.
The Phelps Media Group, a PR firm with a competitive equestrian focus, represents clients that range from Olympic athletes to members of the royal family.
The level of caliber Williams expected to see in Florida was far surpassed.
“I’m around people who are world champions and Olympians, and what’s surprised me is that these people are so open to helping me write a story and take their picture.”
Before Williams can ride any of the show horses, however, she must first pass a horseback simulator test that she has yet to master. Even experienced equestrians, like Williams, struggle through the intense technical screening.
“Young riders would give an arm and leg to watch these people ride these horses,” Williams said. “These horses are competing at a top level. They are incredibly expensive — they’re treated better than I am.”
