Equestrians Head To The Bluegrass State For IHSA Nationals

Thursday, May 4

The Kentucky Horse Park - Lexington, Ky.

All Day

College of Charleston

IHSA Nationals

Equestrians Head To The Bluegrass State For IHSA Nationals

5/3/2017 9:00:00 PM | Equestrian

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CHARLESTON, S.C. – The College of Charleston equestrian team heads to the Bluegrass State to take part in the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) 50th Anniversary National Finals Horse Show on May 4-7 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.

EQSportsNet will broadcast live coverage of the championships at: http://www.eqsports.net/

"The team is honored to represent the College of Charleston and their teammates at the 50th Anniversary IHSA National Finals Horse Show," CofC Head Coach Bob Story said. "We have had tremendous support from the athletics department and the riders' professors in getting their academic work (final exams) taken care of before leaving for Kentucky. It really allows the team to focus on the competition ahead of us."

The Cougars are making their 26th all-time appearance at nationals and first since 2015. The program has won the reserve national championship (second place) on three occasions in 1989, 1991 and 2014.

Freshman Elif Caynak (Fort Mill, S.C.) will compete in Walk/Trot, freshman Samantha Bledsoe (St. Charles, Ill.) in Walk/Trot/Canter, sophomore Emilia Vawter (Goshen, Ky.) 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 junior Hannah Showell (Ocean City, Md.) in Open Fences.

"Nationals is always a pressure cooker," Story said. "The smallest mistake can be the difference between first and dead last. The team has had a great two months of preparation for this event and they are really focused on the details. There are a lot of things that have to happen the right way to win the IHSA National Championship. This is an extremely hard working group and I believe they have a legitimate chance at winning."

For only the third time in program history and since 1983, the equestrians recorded a perfect score (49 points) at the College of Charleston Fall Show in November. CofC is primed and ready for competition qualifying for nationals with a reserve championship finish at the IHSA Zone 5 Finals on April 1 in Ocala, Fla.