Strong finish for hunt seat

The Colby Community College equestrian team had four first-place finishers March 9 in the final hunt seat show of the season, hosted by Colorado College and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. The next day, Amber Graber and Rachel Keltz emerged from the regional championships to qualify for the IHSA Zone 8 Championships April 6 in Palo Alto, Calif.

On Saturday, Merriah Bockmann and Graber took first in the novice fences divsion. Alyssa Carswell won in beginning walk-trot-canter equitation, and the top spot in walk-trot equitation went to Rachel Hurla.

"Our other team members also rode really strong, and we're pleased with the overall performance of our hunt seat riders this weekend," said coach Shanda Mattix.

Results for Saturday, March 9:

Novice Fences – Bockmann, first; Graber, first; Madisyn Haggard, seventh.
Novice Flat – Bockmann, fifth; Samantha Scholting, sixth.
Advanced-Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation – Nichole Patry, third; Abby Caswell, fifth; Abby Schmeiser, seventh.
Beginning Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation – Carswell, first; Brittany Stroup, third. 
Walk-Trot Equitation – Hurla, first.

In Sunday's IHSA Zone 8 Region 5 Hunt Seat Championships, Madisyn Haggard, Graber and Samantha Scholting competed in advanced-walk-trot canter equitation and Keltz in walk-trot-equitation. 

Graber and Keltz were named reserve regional champions in their respective classes and advanced to the zone finals next month at Stanford University. 

Hunt seat coach Sara Jamison was impressed with the effort of each CCC regional competitor.

"I'm so incredibly proud of all of our qualifiers. All four of our riders performed to the best of their ability and left it all in the arena," she said. 

The team is back on the road March 15-17 in Findlay, Ohio, for the IHSA Semi-Finals hosted by the University of Findlay.