By SARAH COOPER and ALLIE ROBERTSON
IHSA MEDIA INTERNS

The Berry Equestrian team is officially in the running for a three peat in its IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association) national title streak.

The team solidified its IHSA Nationals berth by coming in second behind the University of Findlay Ohio at the Western Semi- Finals in Buffalo, NY in March. Nationals will take place May 4-7 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington; qualifying teams needed to place in the top three at semis. Berry’s riders also performed well on the individual front – all individual riders placed fourth or above and will advance to Nationals alongside the team.

Semis: the breakdown
Before the last team class at Semis, the team was tied for third place with Delaware Valley University. The last team class was Open Horsemanship where Elizabeth Poczobut placed first and solidified the team spot at Nationals. The team placed ahead of Cazenovia College who also qualified.

All 10 girls who came to compete in New York individually are moving on to Nationals in May and we are so excited and proud!

The Hunt Seat team traveled to their Zones competition on April 1 in Ocala, Fla. They ended up fourth in the zone with a narrow miss for Nationals contention. Madison Eiberger qualified individually in Novice Equitation on the Flat.

As always, ride em’, slide em’, jump em’! Go Berry!

Western Semis placings:
The girls headed North and did a little sightseeing before the Western Semifinals competition. They visited Niagara Falls and went to dinner on Lake Erie. It was much colder than Georgia, but they didn’t let that get in the way! The girls rode well and placed as follows:
Individual Reining
AnnaLee Cooley, 4th
Individual Open Horsemanship
Elizabeth Ellis, 4th
Individual Advanced Horsemanship
Courtney Woodard, 1st
AnnaLee Cooley, 4th
Individual Novice Horsemanship
Mariel Wrench, 2nd
Individual Intermediate Horsemanship
Alex Sievenpiper, 3rd
Individual Beginner Horsemanship
Emily Lambert, 4th
Team Reining
AnnaLee Cooley, 5th
Team Open Horsemanship
Elizabeth Poczobut, 1st
Team Advanced Horsemanship
Mariel Wrench, 4th
Team Novice Horsemanship
Sarah Cooper, 4th
Team Intermediate Horsemanship
Allie Robertson, 5th
Team Beginner Horsemanship
Mary Catherine Hix, 2nd

The Southern Emergency Animal Response Unit is establishing a database of volunteers

By LIZ CRUMBLY
Editor

During environmental or manmade disasters, domesticated animals’ needs are sometimes met in an a scrambling, after-the-fact manner – this is an issue the SEARU (Southern Emergency Animal Response Unit) seeks to remedy.

The organization sprang up after fires engulfed portions of Gatlinburg, Tenn., at the end of November. Alex Parker, of Harrodsburg, Ky., one of the group’s founders said she was “in shock” at the positive response just a few days after establishing the SEARU Facebook page – two months into its existence, in late January, the page was approaching 600 likes.

“A lot of people have said they’ve never seen a group take off like this,” Parker said, adding that she believes the growth is in direct response to a definite need.

“It wouldn’t have taken off like this if it was not a needed service,” she said.

How it works
The group attracts volunteers via Facebook to help with disaster relief efforts for equines and other animals; its founders are essentially seeking to put response services in place before they’re needed. Providers list the services they’re able to offer – things like animal transportation, feed and hay provision and health care. There’s been response from veterinarians, barn owners and hay growers wishing to help and even a sheriff requesting assistance, Parker said. A volunteer is working to record contact information in a permanent, categorized database.

Parker stressed that the group isn’t associated with any existing government relief organization and is “strictly volunteer.” She said SEARU will not collect funding but instead will funnel monetary donations directly to volunteers offering to provide services, resulting in a kind of honor-based system. Donations will be helpful in reimbursing volunteers for thing like fuel, Parker explained. SEARU volunteers will be in contact with these providers, as well as those receiving donations for distribution, so donations like hay and feed can be tracked to some extent.

Getting organized

Parker said in early December that efforts surrounding the Gatlinburg fires and the tornadoes in Tennessee and Alabama had attracted attention from close to 250 would-be volunteers in a dozen states. After the group’s organizers finished managing volunteer interest in these two events, Parker said they planned to organize their database into regions. Each region, she said, will have individuals in charge of needs like animal transport, feed and hay and health care. These volunteers will, in turn, answer to a single regional coordinator.

Those interested in being added to the database may contact SEARU through its Facebook page: Southern Emergency Animal Response Unit.

Parker said the group’s founders are embarking on this journey of attempting to get ahead of disasters with help for animals before disaster strikes with hopes for the best and preparations for the worst.

“We’re hoping that we’re never needed, but you know that’s not going to happen,” she said.