Photo by Madeleine Nielsen
Teams and individuals qualify for the IHSA National Championship to be held at Tryon International May 3-5
Gladys, Va. – April 18, 2024 – The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) held eight Zone Finals March 30-April 6. The eight Zone hunter seat competitions produced across North America were qualifying events for the 2024 IHSA National Championship to be showcased at the indoor complex at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina, May 3-5.
From each Zone Finals, the top-two teams and the top-two individual riders from each division all qualified to compete at the highlight of the IHSA season. The top-three Regional High-Point Riders from each Zone qualifying class are eligible to compete in the coveted USHJA Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup. The IHSA National Championship determines the team and individual champions in both hunter seat and Western. The Western qualifiers were determined at the NRHA Western Semi-Finals in March.
Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College
At the Zone 1 Finals, hosted at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts on April 6, Sacred Heart University, coached by Tiffany Hajdasz, took the Zone championship. Reserve championship honors went to the University of Vermont team. The teams earned placing points of 43 and 34, respectively, and are now National Championship bound.
First-place winner Madeline Ahern, Stonehill College, will be joined by second-place finisher Emmalyn Mirarchi from Mount Holyoke College and third-place Emma Easton-Ayre from the University of Rhode Island, to contend for the USHJA Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup.
Photo courtesy of Skidmore College
On April 6, Long Island University hosted the IHSA Zone 2 Finals. The 2023 National Champion Skidmore College team, coached by Belinda Colgan, nabbed the championship with 48 points and will return to the IHSA National Championship to defend their title. They will be joined at Tryon by the reserve champion St. Lawrence University team, coached by Mary Drueding, who earned 38 points.
Skidmore College's Kenya Sanders earned the Hunter Seat High-Point Rider Zone Championship. Anna Perlow from Long Island University was reserve champion and Harper Eskey from St. Lawrence University was third. All three will have the chance to compete in the USHJA Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup.
Photo courtesy of Penn State University
In exciting tie-breaker action on April 6, Penn State University earned the championship of Zone 3. The Penn State Equestrian Team, coached by Krisitin Gretok, along with the University of Delaware team, coached by Whitney Carmouche, garnered 39 points. Both teams will compete at the National Championship.
Penn State University's Lauren Marchetti was the champion High-Point Hunter Seat Rider, with Benjamin Hoban from Centenary reserve and Erica Fornwall from West Chester University placing third. All three riders will vie for the USHJA Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup at the IHSA National Championship at Tryon International.
Photo courtesy of St. Andrews University
Sweet Briar College hosted the Zone 4 Championship on April 6 and in tightly-contested competition, the championship went to Hollins University. Coached by Sherri West, the Hollins University team earned 43 points. The Zone 4 Reserve Championship went to the 2019 and 2022 IHSA National Champions, Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College, coached by Heather Richardson, with 42 points. These teams will have a chance to earn the National Championship title at the IHSA National Championship the first weekend in May.
Mallory Francis from Hollins University was named the Zone Champion Hunter Seat High-Point Rider with Liberty University's Margaret Saunders reserve and Emma Pell from Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College in third place. Each will be in the running for the top spot in the USHJA Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup at the IHSA National Championship in May.
SCAD was the Zone 5 champion team. Photo courtesy of MSF Photography
The Zone 5 Finals championship honors were presented to the 2023 National Reserve Champions and host Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), coached by Ashley Henry. SCAD earned 54 points. Reserve champion honors went to the University of Georgia, coached by Kelly Boltz, with 34 points. These teams are on the road to the National Championship.
SCAD's Celia Cram repeated her 2023 Zone 5 championship as the High-Point Hunter Seat Rider. She will be joined at Tryon by reserve champion Camryn Lubner from the University of South Carolina and third-place finisher Allison Smith, from Texas State University- San Marcos, to compete for the coveted USHJA Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup.
Photo courtesy of Heather Pinnick
Zone 6 Finals was hosted by Otterbein University on April 6 and the home team, coached by Kari Briggs and Lindsay Yinger, were named champions with 54 points. Miami University of Ohio, coached by Heather Pinnick, was named the reserve champions, earning 34 points. The two teams punched their tickets to the IHSA National Championship.
Riders qualified for the USHJA Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup at IHSA Nationals include Zone champion Delani Franklin from Lake Erie College, reserve champion Mary Roskens from Miami University of Ohio and third-place Lauren Childs from Kenyon College.
Photo courtesy of West Texas A&M University
Zone 7 Finals was hosted by Ledges Sporting Horses in Roscoe, Illinois, March 30. West Texas A&M University and their team, coached by Julia Bastian, emerged as champions with 41 points. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College earned reserve champion honors with 34 points. These teams have secured their spots at the National Championship.
Champion Aurora Remis from Iowa State University, reserve champion Jaden Perry from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and third-place Catherine Chartier from Kansas State University will compete in the USHJA Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup at the IHSA National Championship at Tryon International.
Photo courtesy of Stanford University
Zone 8 Finals host Stanford University, coached by Vanessa Bartsch, earned the championship on April 6. The team earned 46 points and will advance to the National Championship. Reserve champion honors went to University of Southern California, coached by Kat Griffiths, with 40 points.
Stanford University's Rafi Wolf earned the champion Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, with reserve champion Madison Weber from the University of British Columbia and third-place finisher Eavan Bronfman from the University of Southern California adding their names to the entry list for the USHJA Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup at the IHSA National Championship in May.
All competitors will start from scratch at the IHSA National Championship, offering any qualified team and individual a shot at earning an IHSA national title.
“This year’s eight Zone Finals had some surprising results,” said IHSA Executive Director Peter Cashman. “Congratulations to all the qualifiers! Many thanks to Back on Track, USHJA and CWD for providing prizes. Thank you to all the host schools, venues, judges, riders, coaches and supporters. We look forward to the IHSA National Championship at Tryon International in May.”