APHA Members Well-Represented at IHSA National Championships
IHSA logo courtesy of APHA press releae
PHJ press release by: Megan Brincks
APHA was well represented at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association national championships on May 1–4 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The IHSA format allows riders of various skill levels to compete as individuals and teams in horse show competitions.
In the Western team competition, APHA member Markie Maletzke placed sixth in Team Advanced Western Horsemanship for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The 19-year-old from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, has earned multiple Registers of Merit through APHA as a Youth rider.
Rebekah Strunk of Fort Mill, South Carolina, rode for Clemson University, earning Top 10s in Team Open Western Horsemanship (sixth) and Team Open Reining (seventh). She also contended the same classes as an individual, which required her to qualify separately through the regional and semi-national levels. In the individual horsemanship class, she placed sixth. As her region’s high-point rider, she also competed for the AQHA High- Point Western Rider title against 25 other exhibitors. In APHA, Rebekah has earned ROMs in Youth trail, pole bending and showmanship.
Also competing as an individual, McKenna Coveney of Stockton, California, placed seventh in Individual Open Reining. The 20-year-old APHA member attends California State Polytechnic University, and she also competed for the APHA High-Point Western Rider award, which required riders to complete a reining pattern and show on the rail in horsemanship.
As an alumnus, Lea Hoover placed third in Alumni Reining for Oregon State University. The Baker City, Oregon, resident also placed fourth in Alumni Western Horsemanship. Although she’s already graduated from college, Lea is able to ride for her alma mater by competing at IHSA shows throughout the season in alumni classes and then qualifying through regionals and semi-nationals.
In the hunt-seat equitation team competition, Sydney Carpenter from the University of Wisconsin-Madison placed sixth.
Congratulations to all riders who qualified for and competed at the IHSA Nationals, including team champions Centenary College in the hunt-seat competition and Ohio State University in Western.
