Skidmore College (New York) claimed its ninth hunter seat national championship and the Cacchione Cup went, for the first time, to a student from Boston University when collegiate equestrians from across North America convened for the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championships, held May 4-7 at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Although the Skidmore Thoroughbreds are no strangers to IHSA victories, it was a special moment for head coach Belinda Colgan.
“It feels phenomenal. It’s my first time winning as head coach,” Colgan said. “I felt very confident in all my girls walking in. They’re phenomenal riders, every one of them.”
Skidmore narrowly beat out Savannah College of Art and Design, earning 46.5 points to SCAD’s 45.
In the individual competition, 24 riders (three from each of the eight zones) vied for the Cacchione Cup. The competition started with an over-fences course, the score from which each rider carried over to a flat class. A final work-off determined the winner.
Judges Robin Rost Brown and Tony Sgarlata opted to call back the top eight riders to tackle the work-off course, which was designed by Bill Yeager. Along with six fences, the judges incorporated challenges such as asking riders to demonstrate walk, counter-canter and turn on the haunches.
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Boston University’s Elizabeth Nevins was the winner of the Cacchione Cup. Nevins, a senior, started the competition in third place after scoring an 84 on her over-fences round. She then received a 90 the flat phase, giving her a 4.5-point lead heading into the work-off.
Watch her winning work-off round, courtesy of Horse & Country:
“I wasn’t aware of it, but my team manager told me that I am the first rider from Boston University to win the Cacchione Cup,” Nevins, 21, said.
SCAD’s Celia Cram rode to the reserve championship honors, and Centenary University senior Morgan Munz rounded out the top three.
Check out more video and images from behind the scenes at IHSA Nationals, including what collegiate equestrians had to say about the lucky charms, superstitions, handshakes and habits that they bring to the big show:
