By ELIZABETH POCZOBUT
IHSA Media Intern
Hello again from Berry College Equestrian! We wrapped up our fall season with more wins for the hunt seat and western teams in November. The spring semester is looking to be jam-packed for the equestrian team, with three regular-season huntseat and two Western shows.
**Related: This is what it takes to defend a national championship
Berry College takes IHSA Western title
Art & equestrian: SCAD takes home its first IHSA Nationals title **
In addition to wrapping the regular season, riders from the Western and huntseat teams will be competing in the regional shows, which will be held at Berry College on Feb. 28. To qualify to show at the regional show, a rider must have accumulated a certain number of points through placings earned in his or her division. Berry currently has 12 riders qualified to compete at regionals with four additional riders close to qualifying. A rider who receives first or second at regionals gains the opportunity to compete at Western semi-finals or the huntseat zone competition, respectively. Competitors ride at semis or zones for a chance to ride at Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association Nationals.
The road to Nationals as a team looks a little different. The first-place team from the region goes automatically to Zones or semis and competes as a team for the right to compete at Nationals. Berry College is leading the region in both the Western and huntseat competitions, so if our spring semester shapes up like we hope it to, be looking for Berry Equestrian at Huntseat Zones on April 2; the compitition will be hosted by Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and also at Western semi-finals March 19 and 20, hosted by Black Hawk College in Illinois. From there, the top two huntseat teams and the top three Western teams advance to Nationals.
Incidentally, SCAD is also defending a National championship this year. The school won the IHSA Huntseat Team National Championship last year. As most of you know, Berry was the Western Team Nationals winner.
