Mason Equestrian Club Competes in Richmond

By Broadside Staff Writer Ryan Dempsey. Photo courtesy of Johnnie Lotesta.

Each rider must place in the top three during regional competition to continue to Zones next Sunday at Mary Washington. At Zones, the top two riders from each class will advance to Nationals at the University of Tennessee.

The Equestrian Club is a organization dedicated to educating students in equestrian sports. Formed in 2003, the club strives to teach horsemanship to students and allow them to participate in competition. It focuses on the hunter-and-jumper style of riding and encourages members to reach their highest potential and equestrian goals.

The team has finished in the top three at many regional horse shows, including multiple blue ribbons in an array of divisions.

The club offers a variety of different horseshows in which members compete. These competitions include shows from the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association.
Virginia Horse Show Association and American National Riding Commission. What is unique about IHSA competition is that riding is based on a draw. This means that riders compete on horses that they do not know and cannot be used during the warm up process. Judging for this type of competition is based on the rider's equitation, which is the rider’s control, position, and overall riding ability.

Each member needs 35 points to qualify for regional competition in their division. Senior marketing major Kim Maynard and junior management major Charlotte Edwards were both successful in earning 35 points in the Advance Walk/Trot/Canter divisions in previous IHSA competitions and are now competing in the novice division. Junior nursing major Sarah Dozier also earned 35 points over her career in Novice Flat and Over Fences. Lastly, sophomore government and international politics major Johnnie Lotesta has earned 35 points in Intermediate Over Fences and the 28 points needed in the Open Flat to qualify her for the regional competition. The Open division is the highest level of competition in IHSA and includes the over fences portion which is three feet in height.

“Being a member of the Equestrian team has been a very positive experience for me,” said Lotesta. “Many of the girls on the team have become my close friends, and, overall, we have a very open, supportive community. Competing in the intercollegiate circuit has been great as well. The competitions have challenged me to grow as an equestrian athlete, and it’s nice to be part of a team in a sport that is traditionally very individual.”