Season Culminates at IHSA Zone 5 Finals For Equestrians

Saturday, April 1

Kimberden Farms - Ocala, Fla.

All Day

College of Charleston

IHSA Zone 5 Finals

Season Culminates at IHSA Zone 5 Finals For Equestrians

3/31/2017 12:00:00 PM | Equestrian

Photo Credit: Stephanie Hustad

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The season culminates for the College of Charleston equestrian team as it heads to the IHSA Zone 5 Finals on April 1 at Kimberden Farms in Ocala, Fla.

The Cougars will be represented at the horse show by three individual qualifiers in sophomore Mia Vawter (Goshen, Ky.) in Novice Fences, junior Annie Kuniansky (Atlanta, Ga.) in Intermediate Flat and junior Hannah Showell (Ocean City, Md.) in Open Flat.

"Zone Finals is the most important horse show of the year for us as a team," CofC Head Coach Bob Story said. "If you are not first or second in the team competition at zones then the season is over for the team. The same is true for the individual qualifiers, first or second gets them to nationals."

Team riders include freshman Elif Caynak (Fort Mill, S.C.) in Walk/Trot, freshman Samantha Bledsoe (St. Charles, Ill.) in Walk/Trot/Canter, Vawter in Novice Flat, freshman Molly Coyle (Davidsonville, Md.) in Novice Fences, sophomore Sophie Meserve (Portsmouth, N.H.) in Intermediate Flat, sophomore Shannon Rice (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) in Intermediate Fences, sophomore Avery Jackson (Mechanicsbury, Pa.) in Open Flat and Showell in Open Fences.

"The last three weeks has been non-stop preparation for these riders and giving them insight into what to expect at this level of competition," Story said. "The team has worked extremely hard. I feel that they are ready to represent the College of Charleston in Ocala and then move on to the IHSA National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky."