PLANTATION, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University’s Equestrian Team, in its first competition and with a complement of Palm Beaches riders, made a strong showing on Feb. 5 versus the Southeast’s top collegiate programs.

The riding Owls placed in nine classes at the IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Show Association) show hosted by the University of Miami at Plantation Equestrian Center in Broward County.

On Jan. 29, Virginia Intermont became the new leader in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Tournament of Champions series. Their point total of 36 secured the win at the Winter Classic horse show in Chatham, Va., and was enough to propel them into the lead for 2010-2011 Series Champion Team. The VI Cobras have not won a Tournament of Champions show since 2008

Thirty-two high school aged riders participated in the Collegiate Equestrian Talent Search (ETS) clinic at the Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center, Jan. 22-23. The weekend event began with a Friday night seminar for riders and parents which discussed the differences between IHSA and NCAA riding and recruiting. Clinicians outlined benefits and drawbacks of each association and worked on strategies for getting recruited.  They also talked about collegiate dressage and high school riding opportunities.

BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Nationally known riding coach Sarah Irvine – under whose tutelage the Bridgewater College riding program became one of the most respected and competitive in the region – announced today that she will retire at the conclusion of the 2010-11 school year.

A rainy start to the day didn’t deter many of the top collegiate equestrian teams in the nation in their quest for notoriety and bragging rights in the Tournament of Champions Preseason Classic, hosted Sunday, September 26, on the campus of Goucher College in the Baltimore suburb of Towson, Maryland.   The rain eventually gave way to sunny skies, just as some of the traditional front runners in collegiate riding gave way to some hot young programs intent on setting a new direction in IHSA.