IHSA Western Semi-Finals
During the 2011 IHSA Western Semi-Finals, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will take on the University of Kansas in an exciting match-up. The winner of this contest will advance to the IHSA Western Championship game on April 23rd.
Colby Community College
During the second weekend of March, schools from the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association’s Zone 8, Region 5 competed in Texas and Texas. The top three teams advanced to the IHSA National Championship show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The top individual riders in each class also made the trip to the apex of the IHSA Western hierarchy.
The Laramie County Community College IHSA equestrian team placed in the top ten of the competitors. The team is comprised of approximately fifty students. They develop team spirit and sportsmanship through IHSA competitions. They are the only equestrian team in the state of Nebraska to compete in the IHSA.
The Laramie County community college IHSA equestrian team performed well at the IHSA regional show at the Colby Community College show. The team placed in the top ten of the competition, which was a feat in itself. The team is lead by Arielle Price. She is assisted by Paid Frevert and Hannah Scow.
Alfred State
Throughout the IHSA Western Semi-Final competition in March, Alfred State Western Equestrian Club Team finished in the top three in all three riding events. The team also tied with Cornell for the top honor in the intercollegiate riding event.
Madeline Keyes, an Alfred State College student-athlete, qualified for the IHSA National Championships in three disciplines. She finished 7th in the individual open reining competition, and earned a 2nd place finish in the individual open horsemanship competition. In addition, she qualified for the Western Semi-Final competition and will advance to the IHSA National Championships in May.
Madeline Keyes has been a member of the Alfred State College western equestrian team for the past several years. She has competed at the IHSA nationals in the open individual reining, open individual horsemanship, and Hi-Point divisions.
Findlay
Defending national champions, the University of Findlay IHSA Western Team took home many awards at the IHSA National Championships last year. While the Oilers took home the national team title, they also won five classes and 39 points overall. Now, the team has another big task: beating teams in the east.
The IHSA Western Semi-Finals are held in three locations during the third weekend in March. The hosts are announced well in advance of the competition year. In addition to the semi-finals, the IHSA Western Committee is responsible for pattern instruction and graphics. This year, Alfred University hosted the event.
At the IHSA Western Semi-Finals, the top four riders in each division will earn a spot at the IHSA National Championships in Syracuse, New York. The Reserve Champion in Intermediate Horsemanship goes to Noelle Bianculli. In the Individual Reining competition, Carla Carfora earned the first place prize.
St. Andrews
Located in Laurinburg, North Carolina, St. Andrews University is a member of the Intercollegiate Dressage Federation and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. It’s 300-acre campus includes three outdoor arenas, grassy fields and a variety of equestrian facilities.
Carla Carlson is the IHSA Western Team coach at St. Andrews University. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and is an AQHA judge with 31 years of experience. She teaches classes in dressage, horse judging and horse instruction. She’s also an All Around Youth at the American Quarter Horse Congress and has judged in eight foreign countries.
She and other equestrian coaches at St. Andrews have been riding hard this season to prepare for IHSA Nationals. They competed in nine home and away shows during the regular season. They earned 275 points in regular season competition.
MTSU
MTSU equestrian team has been sending individual riders to the IHSA nationals for many years. However, in the past five years the team hasn’t qualified as a team for nationals. This year they hosted a Western Semi-Finals competition in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The team received the title of Regional Coach of the Year.
The MTSU equestrian team competes in Western disciplines, including English and reining. The team includes juniors and freshmen, as well as senior riders. This season was the first time the team has been ranked in the top three as a team.
During the opening ceremony Bob Cacchione greeted riders and coaches, and presented prizes. He was joined by Dawn Kreakie, a judge from Seville, Ohio. During the event, five SAU team members received diplomas.
The host teams were hard to beat. The team earned 33 points and was a part of the top three teams in the region. In addition, the team earned four individual wins.
