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The Earlham Equestrian Team is a club sport that competes in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The team is made up of student members of the Earlham College Stables Cooperative with a wide range of equine backgrounds. Kellie Riggott is the current Equestrian Team coach. She is an experienced instructor who recently moved to Richmond from Florida where she trained hunters.
The only prerequisite to being a team member is membership in the Barn Co-op. Riders of all skill levels are welcomed; there are no tryouts, and no one is ever turned away. The team meets twice a week: on Wednesdays to go over team information and on Saturdays for practice. The team shows in ten competitions a year, riding against such schools as Purdue University, Notre Dame, Indiana University and IUPUI. The team travels together to each show, held at the hosting University.
The Earlham College Equestrian Team strives to foster both team spirit and sportsmanship. Members support each other in preparation for shows and during every competition. The team focuses on having fun around horses and other horse-loving people while improving both on individual and team levels.
The IHSA competitions are structured in a unique manner that helps to create an even competition field for judging skill and ability. Horses and riders are assigned randomly and have extremely minimal preparation time. Riders are judged based on their equitation and ability to adapt to their mount. They are initially placed into classes based on their skill, and move up the levels according to their performances in shows. When riders move up a level in IHSA, they qualify for the Regional Competition at the end of the year. Based on the results of these competitions, a rider may qualify to compete at the Zone and then National levels.
Feel free to contact the Team Captain with any questions!
Information provided by Ann Quirk and Sydney Sogol.
