Fairfield, CT—December 4, 2012—Carley Ziegler, who rides on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) hunter seat team for George Mason University of Fairfax, VA, earned the inaugural High Score College Rider Award at the Mid-Atlantic Equitation Festival and Country Life Holiday Shopping Expo, November 17-18, 2012, at Showplace Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD. The Festival is the first of its kind to offer Mid-Atlantic riders equitation finals similar to the New England Equitation Championships.
Ziegler, who hails from Centerville, VA, enjoyed a winning streak that included clinching the title in the MAEF Adult Equitation 18–21 Championship. The Mid-Atlantic Equitation Finals were open to riders that had won a national, regional, or local association equitation medal class at a fence height of 2’9” or above, and to Intermediate or Open over fences class winners at an IHSA competition in USEF Zones 2 or 3 (NY, NJ, PA, MD, DE, VA, WV or NC) between August 1, 2011 and October 10, 2012.
She also won the Open Equitation on the Flat 18–21, and Farnam Adult 18-21 Medal, open to amateur adults 22 years of age and over who had won a national, regional, or local association equitation medal class at a fence height of 2’9″ or above, and to Intermediate or Open over fences class winners at an IHSA competition in USEF Zones 2 or 3 (NY, NJ, PA, MD, DE, VA, WV, or NC) between August 1, 2011 and October 10, 2012.
Ziegler’s success is no surprise to her IHSA peers. At the 2011 IHSA National Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park, she made history as the first-ever George Mason University rider to qualify for the IHSA Nationals. George Mason University had only been in the IHSA for six seasons when Ziegler became their first rider to represent the university for an IHSA National title.
About IHSA
The IHSA mission is to promote competition for riders of all skill levels, who compete individually and as teams at regional and national levels. IHSA is based on the principle that any college student should be able to participate in horse shows regardless of financial status or riding level. More than 400 educational institutions in the U.S. and parts of Canada have teams belonging to IHSA, including student academic clubs, JV, and/or varsity programs. Learn more at www.ihsainc.com, and connect with more than 6,800 student riders and coaches on Facebook and Twitter @IHSAinc.