Second Day Recap From 2016 IEA National Finals
Future Beginner Horsemanship Individual. Image courtesy of IEA.
Phelps Media Group
Friday, April 22, 2016, Lexington, Kentucky – Yesterday was another busy day at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) National Finals! Great riding and skilled horsemanship made for a second straight day of strong competition. Beyond the riding, participants and attendees were able to shop, gain instruction on college preparations, watch a Dressage demonstration, attend the speaker symposium, and celebrate with their families and teammates at the welcome reception provided by the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA).
Many spectators had the ability to tune in and watch the show on the live feed provided by EQSports.net. The first day of the Hunt Seat Competition was a big hit as the viewing numbers were up from last year. Over 8,800 viewers from across the world watched the competition.
Riders, age 11-19, competed individually in Hunt Seat on the Flat, Western Reining and Western Horsemanship classes. IEA’s format requires each rider to draw a horse on the day of the competition and, with no opportunity to familiarize himself or herself with the horse, step into the show ring.
Future Beginner Flat – Individual. Photo courtesy of IEA.
“It was another spectacular day in the Alltech Arena. The nerves and the sense of excitement filled the grounds. Competitors held hands, gave hugs and congratulated each other as their names were called – an overwhelming sense of good sportsmanship,” states Roxane Lawrence, IEA Co-Founder and Executive Director when asked about today’s competition.
Friday’s competition will include Hunt Seat Over Fences Team classes and the Varsity Open Championship Class. This class, which is comprised of the top riders from the Varsity Open Flat and Fences classes, determines our 2016 Hunt Seat Leading Rider. The Holy Innocents’ Horsemanship Knowledge Test and Horseman’s Knowledge Test will be held in the afternoon. Competition then continues with the Western Individual Reining and Horsemanship classes. Similar to the Leading Hunt Seat Rider, the Champion Western Rider will be determined after the Varsity Open Reining and the Varsity Open Horsemanship classes. The compiled points from these classes establish our Western Leading Rider.
Thursday’s Hunt Seat and Western Individual Winners:
- Varsity Open on the Flat Individual- Tomiko McGovern from Lucky C Stables in Zone 2
- Varsity Intermediate on the Flat Individual – Elizabeth Trexler from Chatham Hall in Zone 3
- Future Intermediate on the Flat Individual- Sydney Shelby from MVCS Equestrian in Zone 10
- Junior Varsity Novice on the Flat Individual- Lilian Schaffer from Front Range Equestrian Team in Zone 8
- Future Novice on the Flat Individual- Isabella Garbiel-Achorn from Muddy Brook Farm in Zone 1
- Junior Varsity Beginner on the Flat Individual- Jillian Alejo from Concord Equestrian Team in Zone 1
- Future Beginner on the Flat Individual- Olivia Batten from Stonehouse Stables in Zone 3
- NRHA Varsity Open Reining Individual – Olivia Maxey from Bayhill Farm in Zone 5
- NRHA Future Intermediate Reining Individual – Peyton Derr from Hancock Equestrian in Zone 5
- AQHA Junior Varsity Novice Horsemanship Individual- Nigel Lancaster from Autumn Rose Equestrian in Zone 5
- AQHA Varsity Intermediate Horsemanship Individual- Breighanna Urdahl from Sassy Senoritas in Zone 7
- AQHA Future Beginner Horsemanship Individual – Erin Murray from Autumn Rose Equestrians in Zone 5
Future Beginner on the Flat Individual. Image courtesy of IEA.
Founded in 2002, the IEA has more than 12,500 middle and high school student-riders across the United States. The IEA was organized to promote and improve the quality of equestrian competition and instruction available to middle and secondary school students and is open to public and private schools and barn teams. Its purpose is to set minimum standards for competition, provide information concerning the creation and development of school associated equestrian sport programs, to generally promote the common interests of safe riding instruction and competition and education on matters related to equestrian competition at the middle and secondary school levels. There is no need any rider to own a horse because the IEA provides a mount and tack to every rider at every event, including the National Finals. For more information, please view the IEA website at: www.rideiea.org.
