UF students and teams qualify for Nationals at final IDA show

By: Larissa Holmes

On April 1, the Individual Dressage Association team arrived at Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center to compete in their final regular show of the Spring semester. Members of the University of Findlay IDA team participated at the show, hosted at Albion College. The show was a one-day only show.

At the end of the show, the Region D placings for both teams and individuals were announced. The rankings are determined by the riders’ four best scores throughout the 2016-17 season. The riders who place first in the rankings qualify to compete individually at Nationals.

Findlay took a total of seven riders with four competing on a point team for UF, and the others competing as individuals. The riders who made up the point team were Sammi Russell for first level, Stephanie Radloff in high training, Maddie Miller in low training, and Larissa Holmes in introductory level. The results for the day in each division were as follows: Russell in first place, Radloff in second place, Miller in sixth place, and Holmes in seventh place. The team placed first overall.

Those competing as individuals placed as follows: Ellie Hill earned third place in high training, Ali Morey earned second place in low training, and finally Parker Nash competed in introductory level and took home second place.

In addition, 11 of Findlay’s IDA team members placed in the Top 10 in the Region D rankings in their respective events. In introductory level Erin Mott placed sixth, Nash placed second and Holmes placed first. In low level, Morey placed second and Miller placed first. In upper training Anastasia Kilberg placed seventh, Chloe Johnson placed fifth and Radloff placed first. In high training, Emily Gill placed ninth, Juliyana Straley placed seventh and Russell placed first.

A win at the final show earned the team a spot at Nationals, since Findlay was the top-ranked team in Region D. The members of the team who will ride at Nationals will be selected by coaches Nicole Thungen and Carrie Woost. IDA Nationals will take place on April 29-30.