Skidmore College Rider Earns First National Championship Title on Day One of the 2023 IHSA National Championship Horse Show
Skidmore College Rider Earns First National Championship Title on Day One of the 2023 IHSA National Championship Horse Show
2023 IHSA National Championship Individual Open Equitation Over Fences winner Kenya Sanders (Skidmore College) on Francoe (Miami Unversity). Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Lexington, KY – May 4, 2023 – Day One of the 2023 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) National Championship Horse Show, hosted in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, showcased the top collegiate hunter seat riders in the country.
The Individual Open Equitation Over Fences was the first division of the day, with 16 riders vying for the national championship. Competition proved tough as eight riders posted scores of 80 or higher. After all riders navigated the Bill Yeager (Midland, Virginia) designed course, the top four, all with scores of 84 or better, were tested in a work-off round. The shortened course consisted of six of the original nine fences with no related distances.
Swapping horses for the test, Kenya Sanders (Skidmore College/Sherborn, Massachusetts), Boston University senior Elizabeth Nevins (Boston, Massachusetts), Elizabeth Orosz (Columbus, Ohio) representing Otterbein University (Westerville, Ohio) and Shannon Flynn, a student at George Mason University (GMU/Fairfax, Virginia) all returned to the ring to showcase their horsemanship skills.
Back on Track Honors Senior Athletic Academic Achievement Award Winners
Bob Cacchione and Back on Track CEO and Managing Director James Ruder with the IHSA Senior Athletic Academic Achievement Award Recipients. Photo by EQ Media
Back on Track Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director James Ruder honored the IHSA Senior Athletic Academic Achievement Award recipients who qualified to compete at IHSA Nationals. Each rider received an award from Back on Track.
Back on Track USA, the Therapeutic Product Choice of the IHSA, is committed to supporting equestrians as they reach their education goals.
IHSA National Championship competition resumes in the Alltech Arena Friday morning at 8 a.m. Highlights include the Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, presenting the Cacchione Cup and the kick-off of the Western divisions. The USHJA will hold a Career Fair from 1-4 on the mezzanine.
For those unable to attend in person, IHSA's Official Media Partner, Horse & Country, will capture all the action. Horse & Country is offering a 15% discount off an H&C+ Annual Membership using the code IHSA15 good from now until May 17.
The United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) will sponsor a career fair during IHSA Nationals on Friday, May 5, from 1-4 p.m. on the mezzanine level of the Alltech Arena. Participating businesses include EQ Media, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Kentucky Equine Management Internship (KEMI), Kentucky Equine Research, Southern States Cooperative and Spy Coast Farm. Attendees seeking positions are encouraged to attend. Bring your CV/resumés. Riding attire is acceptable for the career fair.
