Equestrian Heads to IHSA Nationals This Week
WATCH | SHOW PROGRAM | SHOW SCHEDULE
TOWSON, Md. - The Goucher College equestrian team will be competing in the 2023 International Horse Shows Association (IHSA) National Championship Horse Show this Thursday through Saturday, May 4-6 as one of 16 teams competing for the 2023 national championship. This year's nationals are being held at Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.
Goucher is making its eighth appearance at IHSA nationals as a team and its first since 2017. The Gophers' best finish of fifth came in 2013. In its most recent appearance in 2017 Goucher placed 10th overall.
The top two teams from each of eight IHSA Zones will be competing in a total of eight classes, with all eight scores counting. Each team scores 10 points for a first place finish, eight for second, seven for third, six for fourth, five for fifth, four for sixth, three for seventh, two for eighth, one for ninth and one-half point for 10th.
Competing for Goucher in the team competition are Jacob Connell (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) in Limit Flat and Limit Fences, Morgan Kingsbury (Wentworth, N.H./Plymouth Regional) in Intro Flat, Makaylin Shoop (Davidsonville, Md./South River) in Intermediate Fences, Kellen Sullivan (Hampton, Va./Donald Sullivan) in Intermediate Flat, Cole Jackson (Denver, Colo./East) in Open Flat and Open Fences and Kristen Wilhelm (Columbia, Md./Liberty) in Novice Flat.
Jackson will also be competing individually in Open Flat as well as for the Cacchione Cup awarded to the High Point Rider for the show. Jackson is one of 24 individuals competing for High Point Rider honors with Fences and Flat competition set for Friday, May 5. Jackson's individual Open Flat competition takes place on Thursday, May 4.
Also competing in the team competition are Mount Holyoke College and Sacred Heart University from Zone 1, Long Island University and Skidmore College from Zone 2, Centenary (N.J.) University and the University of Delaware from Zone 3, Emory & Henry College from Zone 4, Savannah Art & Design and the University of South Carolina from Zone 5, Otterbein University and the University of Findlay from Zone 6, Purdue University and the University of Wisconsin from Zone 7 and Stanford University and the University of Southern California from Zone 8.
GOUCHER COMPETITION SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 4
Jacob Connell - Team Limit Fences, Team Limit Flat
Cole Jackson - Individual Open Flat
Kellen Sullivan - Team Intermediate Flat
Friday, May 5
Makaylin Shoop - Team Intermediate Fences
Cole Jackson - High Point Rider Fences, Flat
Morgan Kingsbury - Team Intro Flat
Kristen Wilhelm - Team Novice Flat
Saturday, May 6
Cole Jackson - Team Open Fences, High Point Rider Work-Off (judges discretion), Team Open Flat