Virginia Intermont, Findlay Win IHSA Championships

Virginia Intermont College and the University of Findlay won IHSA national championship titles in hunt seat and western, respectively. Ashley Woodhouse and Jacob Bowman were the top riders in their divisions.

May 18, 2005 — Eden Park Equestrian Complex in Sunbury, Ohio, played host to the top collegiate equestrian teams and riders in the nation May 5-8 for the 33rd Annual Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) National Championships. Following three days of competition, Virginia Intermont College of Bristol, Va., had secured their second straight Collegiate Cup hunter team National Championship.

The team got a quick start, doubling everyone else’s scores halfway through the three days of hunter seat showing. Mount Holyoke College roared back with two blue ribbons and a red in the final three classes to close the gap and finish second. Miami of Ohio finished third.

Ashley Woodhouse of Skidmore College won the USEF/Cacchione Cup Championship. Mount Holyoke’s Kyla Makhloghi earned the Reserve Championship. The USEF/Cacchione Cup Championship is a three-phase individual competition in which each of 29 IHSA Regional High Point Open Hunter riders competed for an equitation on the flat score on Thursday, then each competed for an equitation over fences score on Friday. The final test on Saturday was of the make-your-own variety, incorporating a hand-gallop jump, counter-canter, trot jump, etc., using a designated six jumps of the 10 in the ring.

Jacob Bowman of the University of Findlay won the Individual Open Horsemanship and NRHA Individual Open Reining, as well as Reserve Champion in Team Open Horsemanship, before taking home the Championship in the AQHA Cup High Point Western Rider.

The University of Findlay scored 24 points to win its second AQHA Trophy Western Team Championship, with Texas A&M as Reserve Champions with 21 points. Fresno State finished third.

IHSA National Secretary Jim Arrigon was honored as winner of the 2005 IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award, for service to IHSA as a corporate officer, as well as 20 years of coaching at Miami of Ohio and Murray State University.

Complete results and final standings are available at www.ihsainc.com.

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