MGA's equestrian team put together another strong performance over the weekend as they hosted the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) Regional Championship at the Southern Pines Agricultural Expo Center in Dublin, Georgia. Four MGA riders earned spots in the upcoming NRHA/IHSA Western Semi-Finals in Logan Township, New Jersey, March 15-16.
Maya Blanche, Kaila Stinehelfer, Erin McLeod and Elise Bounds will each represent MGA at the semi-finals event in New Jersey with the hopes of advancing to the 56th Annual IHSA National Championship from May 2 to 4 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina.
Blanche won the Overall High Point Rider for the season and qualified for the ACHA Cup, a 2-phase competition that highlights the highest scoring Open Level rider from the region. She will be representing Zone 5, Region 5. Blanche also qualified in Open Reining and Open Horsemanship, so she will represent MGA in three different events at the semi-finals.
Kaila Stinehelfer qualified in Open Reining, while Erin McLeod earned her qualification in Open Horsemanship. Elise Bounds qualified in Beginner Horsemanship to round out the outstanding individual performances for the Knights.
