Shows
UDEC competes in Zone 6 Region 2 of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). IHSA was founded in 1967 to allow college students of all riding levels to be able to show without the financial expense of owning a horse. Horses and their tack are provided by the host school, and horses are drawn at random with no schooling before riders show them. This is to test the riders horsemanship and ability. For fairness, riders are judged on their equitation or horsemanship.
In the hunter-seat discipline, there are divisions from walk-trot all the way to 3' hunt seat equitation over fences, so everyone is welcome! At these competitions, points are earned to qualify riders for Regional, Zone, and National competitions. Despite our small size and more recent founding, we have had quite a few riders attend Regionals and Zones the past few years, and even had one rider qualify for Nationals in 2023!
UD Equestrian also competes in western IHSA shows! Utilizing the same catch-riding format as hunter seat, these shows offer horsemanship classes suitable for riders of all levels, including a beginner walk-trot class. Along with horsemanship, western IHSA offers ranch riding and reining classes. All of these classes are judged based on a rider's position, teamwork with the horse, and completion of a pattern! Based on points earned, riders can qualify for regional, zone, and national finals competitions.
In our region, we compete against The Ohio State University, Ohio University, Otterbein College, Denison University, Wilmington College, and more!
Showing is not a required part of our team, but the majority of us choose to show. If you would like to give showing a try without the pressure of IHSA, our home barn, Sunnybrook Training Center, frequently offers academy shows where riders can show one of the school horses in the fun learning environment of an informal show.