Equestrian Team Finishes in Fifth Place, Six Individuals Earn High Honors at IHSA National Championships Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Six individuals earned high honors across 12 events to lead the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Equestrian team to a fifth-place team finish at the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) National Championship. The event was held May 5-8 in Harrisburg, Pa.
The IHSA membership is comprised of more than 400 member colleges in 45 states and Canada and represents 10,000 members. Only four-percent of riders qualify for the National championships.
"Achieving top 10 placings is a tremendous accomplishment at this very elite competition," said head coach Lori Jaixen. "It takes a lot of hard work and ambition to even qualify for Nationals. The ability to compete at a high level through the regular season, and then carry that through regional and national semifinals is a testament to our team and their love for the sport."
In the team competition, Sarah Eberspacher, Megan Pokorny, Emily Burnside, Emily Jonas, and Hadley Olson all earned high marks. Eberspacher earned a fourth-place finish in Team Open Horsemanship and a sixth-place finish in Team Open Reining. Pokorny finished in third-place in Team Level 2 Horsemanship and sixth-place in Team Level 2 Ranch Riding. Burnside earned a fifth-place finish in Team Level 1 Horsemanship. Jonas finished in fourth place in Team Rookie Horsemanship and Olson was eighth in Team Beginner Horsemanship.
In the individual events, Eberspacher finished in eighth place overall in the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA)/National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) High Point, eighth in Open Horsemanship, and honorable mention in Open Reining. Pokorny placed third in Level 1 Horsemanship and Ashley Blakely finished in sixth place in Beginner Horsemanship.
Team results
Sarah Eberspacher - 4th Team Open Horsemanship, 6th Team Open Reining
Megan Pokorny - 3rd Team Level 2 Horsemanship, 6th Team Level 2 Ranch Riding
Emily Burnside - 5th Team Level 1 Horsemanship
Emily Jonas - 4th Team Rookie Horsemanship
Hadley Olson - 8th Team Beginner Horsemanship
Individual Results
Sarah Eberspacher - AQHA/NRHA High Point 8th Overall, 8th Individual Open Horsemanship, Honorable Mention Individual Open Reining
Megan Pokorny - 3rd Individual Level 1 Horsemanship
Ashley Blakely - 6th Individual Beginner Horsemanship