Climbing A Mountain On Their Way to a National Championship

Gladys, Va.—Nov. 21, 2025- When Purdue University IHSA hunter seat coach Kathryn Kraft first met with her team at the start of the 2024-2025 season, she shared three motto words that she hoped to inspire her squad for the year: intentional, gritty and grateful. Every practice she and her students would speak about the words, and before and after each show they would come back to the terms to stay focused. What Kraft didn’t know is that those words would be just as inspirational to her athletes outside the saddle as in it.

Savannah Strebinger Wins IHSA/USHJA 3'3'' Hunter Seat Medal Final - West

Gladys, Va.—Nov. 18, 2025—For Savannah Strebinger, the Marshall+Sterling/USHJA National Championships were a week of final chances. At 18-years-old, the event at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa was the last competition of her last season as a Junior rider. On the final day of the championships, Strebinger laid all her cards on the table to win the IHSA/USHJA 3'3'' Hunter Seat Medal Final - West riding her own Gladstone.

IHSA Members Take Top Honors at Two USHJA National Programs

Gladys, Va.—Nov. 14, 2025–The MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session and the USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals were held November 6–9 at Midway University in Midway, Kentucky. IHSA members Finley Scheffel, a freshman at Midway University and Ella Hallman-Luhn, a junior at the Savannah College of Art and Design, earned top honors at each event, respectively.

Fitzgerald Finds IHSA/USHJA 3'3'' Hunter Seat Medal Final - East Win

West Springfield, Mass.—Oct. 21, 2025—Fiona Fitzgerald rode her own Étoile to the top the 2025 IHSA/USHJA 3'3'' Hunter Seat Medal Final - East on Saturday, October 18. The Walpole, Massachusetts, native bested a field of 106 riders with a two-round score of 175.5 at the 50th annual New England Equitation Championships in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

Team and High-Point Rider National Champion Titles Awarded on Final Day of the 2025 IHSA National Championship

The third and final day of competition at the 2025 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) National Championship held at Tryon International in Mill Spring, North Carolina, culminated with awarding the penultimate national championship titles–the USHJA Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup and Back on Track Western High-Point Rider.

A Word from the Western Judges

This year’s IHSA National Championship welcomed two accomplished judges to the Western Arena: Rhonda Replogle and Tammy Braham. In this Q&A, they share their impressions of the competition, the unique aspects of the IHSA format, and their admiration for the riders, coaches and horses who made the event so special.

Battle for the High-Point Rider Titles Begins at the IHSA 2025 National Championship

Competition for coveted high-point rider national champion titles began on Day Two of the 2025 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) National Championship held at Tryon International in Mill Spring, North Carolina. The first phases of the USHJA Hunter Seat High-Point Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup and the Back on Track Western High-Point Rider class culminated after a day of tough competition.

A Word From the Judges

Hunter Seat and Western Competition Heat Up Tryon International Day One of the 2025 IHSA National Championship

Day One of the 2025 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) National Championship, hosted at the Tryon International in Mill Spring, North Carolina, featured some of the top collegiate riders in the country. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Chris Mitchell of Albion College after his years of service to the IHSA and its members.

The IHSA National Championship Returns to Tryon International

Gladys, Va. – April 28, 2025 – The 2025 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) National Championship will be held May 2-4 at Tryon International’s expansive indoor complex in Mill Spring, North Carolina. The IHSA National Championship will feature hundreds of riders from across the U.S. and Canada competing at all levels of hunter seat equitation on the flat and over fences and Western divisions, including horsemanship, ranch riding and reining.

Top Hunt Seat Teams and Riders Qualify for the 2025 IHSA National Championship at Eight Zone Finals

In Remembrance - Gerald "Gerry" Chasin

Black Hawk College, St. Andrews University and the University of Findlay Team Champions of Three NRHA/IHSA Western Semi-Finals

Gladys, Va.– March 20, 2025 – The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) held its Western Semi-Finals, sponsored by the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), March 15-16. The three events were hosted by the Black Hawk College (Galva, Illinois), West Texas A&M University (Canyon, Texas) and the members of Zone 3 hosted at Dream Park of Gloucester County (Logan Township, New Jersey).

Stewards' Corner Newsletter- March 2025

February, 2025- Our IHSA Board of Directors met in Orlando for our Annual Meeting in January where we conduct the majority of the organization’s business each year. One of the things that came out of that meeting was for the National Stewards to periodically send out a “Stewards Corner” update to our membership. The purpose of this update is to ensure everyone is aware of what is going on with our organization. For our first Stewards Corner, Amy and I thought it would be helpful to send out a recap of business from the January meeting.

In Remembrance: Claiborne Bishop

Gladys, Va. – Feb. 11, 2025 – The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association’s (IHSA) leadership expressed their sadness by the passing of Claiborne Bishop. Martha Claiborne Smith Bishop was a dedicated rider, trainer, coach, revered horsewoman and honored IHSA leader. With her husband Tom, she was the recipient of the IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. Bishop served on the IHSA board of directors for many years, most recently as a director emeritus.

IHSA Honors Chris Mitchell with the Lifetime Achievement Award

Gladys, Va. – Jan.20, 2025 – The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) leadership proudly honored Chris Mitchell with the prestigious IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award during the IHSA board meeting in January 2025. The IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award is a testament to the unwavering dedication Mitchell has shown the organization since he was a collegiate equestrian himself.

IHSA Alum Laena Romond Wins Garden of Life Palm Beaches Half Marathon

The 2002 Cacchione Cup winner excels in riding and running. Gladys, Va. – Dec. 23, 2024 – Normally, on a December morning, Heritage Farm trainer Laena Romond would be schooling horses, prepping for a show day in Wellington, Florida, where the program is based during the winter months. But on December 15, Romond instead found herself in race gear in downtown West Palm Beach, about to run a half marathon–and win. She finished the 13.1-mile race in 1 hour and 24 minutes, as the fastest woman.

Naomi Blumenthal Memorial Training Grant Awarded to Lana Ciaramella

Gladys, Va.—Dec.11, 2024—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) announced that Lana Ciaramella is the recipient of the 2024 Naomi Blumenthal Memorial Training Grant, which supports furthering equestrian education. Ciaramella was announced as this year's recipient at the 2024 USHJA Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Peter and Sherry Cashman Retire From USMA West Point Equestrian

Gladys, Va. – Nov. 25, 2024 – After nearly four decades at the helm of equestrian operations at the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, Peter and Sherry Cashman have officially retired. Peter, who is the executive director of the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA), will remain active in his duties with the organization.

Brooke O’Malley Carves Win in the IHSA/USHJA Hunter Seat Medal Final - West

Gladys, Va.—Nov. 20, 2024—Brooke O’Malley made her first trip to the 2024 Marshall+Sterling Insurance/USHJA National Championships and the Las Vegas National Horse Show a winning one on November 17. The 15-year-old from Los Angeles, California, led through three phases of competition to take home the win in the IHSA/USHJA 3'3" Hunter Seat Medal Final - West.