Campus Equestrian: Zone 1, Region 3 Home Page

IHSA ZONE 1 - REGION 3

In 2024-25 six schools can claim their English and Western Teams captured IHSA Region Titles including Mount Holyoke College. Mads Hurley of the Lyons (on right, with Head Coach C.J. Law) is one of at least two Mount Holyoke riders to qualify for Regionals in both English and Western divisions. The senior from Portland, Maine had pointed out of limit flat, level II horsemanship and level II ranch riding through November 17th.

Five University of Massachusetts at Amherst riders advanced through Hunter Seat Regionals including Abigail Hertz. A sophomore from Ipswich, Massachusetts, Hertz was one of three Minutemen riders to place inside the top two at Zones in Gales Ferry, Connecticut on April 6th and thus earn a place at IHSA Nationals in Mill Spring, North Carolina on May 2nd. Hertz is seen here between the Mystic Valley Hunt Club indoor (on the left) and the holding barn (on the right) after winning the individual limit over fences on April 6th. Region 3 Riders did very well individually at Zones that day, as seven riders from four different schools placed either first or second over eight individual classes to qualify for Nationals. In contrast the other three regions of Zone 1 combined only claimed nine top two individual placings.

Another of the Region 3 riders to make it through to IHSA Nationals on an individual basis is Adelina Arevalo of Bentley University (on right). Seen here with head coach Tamara Johnston, the freshman from Easton, Massachusetts was second to UMass-Amherst's Sydney Goulding in individual limit on the flat at Zones on April 6th. This marked the only time that day that the top two in any class came from the same region. Also Arevalo is the first member of the Falcons to reach Nationals since the team moved from Zone 1, Region 4 to Region 3 in mid-2023 (Paige Riccoli qualified for Nationals in novice equitation out of Region 4 in April of 2023).

The University of Connecticut was one of four Western teams in all of New England to compete in IHSA shows in 2024-25. Located in Region 4 for hunter seat, the Western group of Huskies have regularly competed against Region 3 schools since western started within Zone 1 during the 2008-09 season. UConn western coach Jeremy Mimitz (on left) poses with Mackenzie Simon of the Huskies during the individual open reining class at the Western Semifinal at the Dream Park in Logan Township, New Jersey on March 15th. A senior from Cicero, New York, Simon was in a close race for second in the Region 3/4 (or Area 1.0 as it is properly known) Western Open Rider Standings through the fall. Simon was one of four Huskies to qualify for the March 15/16 Semifinal event.

During the fall all of the Smith College riders to qualify for Regionals did so in either introductory or novice equitation. Hannah Wolman (on left, a sophomore from Boston, Massachusetts) and Sonali Konda (on right, a junior from Dallas, Texas) both pointed out of novice equitation and both were jumping in limit flat at the Mount Holyoke March 1st home show where this photo was taken. Wolman was fourth and Konda fifth in this particular limit fences class.

All of the individual classes made up of two "Heats" at Semifinals were settled in championship classes of eight riders each on March 16th. Aubryn Kaine of Mount Holyoke College (pictured) was one of six riders in the first heat of Beginner Western Horsemanship on March 15th. A day later the Lyons senior from Iowa City, Iowa was third to join teammates Clio Halpern (in rookie horsemanship) and Lili Evans (in open reining, open western horsemanship and the individual High Point Open Rider competition) as an IHSA Nationals qualifier. The Mount Holyoke western team just missed out on advancing, finishing two points behind the State University of New York at Oswego and Wilmington College (OH) each of whom tied for third (with Oswego winning the tiebreaker).

The city of Worcester, Massachusetts can claim not one but two IHSA programs within their city limits. One of them is Worcester State University, and through the fall two of their riders had qualified for Regionals. From left to right are Ellen Pechinsky, head coach Courtney Germain and Julia Hache of the Lancers as seen outdoors during the March 1st Mount Holyoke show. Pechinsky, a sophomore from Andover, Massachusetts qualified in novice equitation while Hache, a junior from Hudson, Massachusetts qualified in introductory equitation.

The other Worcester, Massachusetts school with a team in Region 3 is Worcester Polytechnic Institute. This photo of WPI's Avery Rabidoux was taken in the upstairs lounge within the Mount Holyoke Equestrian Center. If you look closely you can see the arena through the window behind Rabidoux while the glass also reflects the snow from the other window in front of Rabidoux but behind the camera! A junior from Essex, Vermont, Rabidoux qualified for Regionals in limit flat.

Through the fall Amherst College sat in third place in the Region 3 hunter seat team standings with 134 points while open rider Willow Vince (not pictured) had earned 69 of them. Vince went on to be the Region 3 high point open rider and her second in the Cacchione Cup Class at Zones sent her through to Nationals (as did a second in individual open over fences a short time later). In this photo we have Vince's teammate Clara Danhof (on left) and her Mother, who flew in all the way from Vancouver, British Columbia to see her compete over the March 1st/2nd weekend. A sixth in limit fences on March 1st left the senior from Western Canada needing four points to go to Regionals the next day when UMass-Amherst would host. We are not sure what happened on the 2nd but we admire the enthusiasm for the Mammoths as they attempted to finish in third place within the Region 3 hunter seat team standings for the second time in three seasons.

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst advanced one western rider through to 2025 Semifinals and she is Emily Nikas (on left). Seen here with Minutemen western head coach Hailey Stebbins (who rode for the University of Findlay in the teens) Nikas was one of a small number of Freshmen competing at Semifinals in New Jersey. From Hyannis, Massachusetts, Nikas finished her first season at UMass with a sixth in individual rookie western horsemanship on March 16th.

If you won a class at the March 1st Mount Holyoke show you had your choice of the various boxes of Girl Scout Cookies that the scouts had brought to promote their organization. Seen here with her blue ribbon and her cookies after winning her limit fences class on March 1st, Grace Neumuth of Mount Holyoke College was one of five Lyons to compete in an individual class at Zones on April 6th (one rider, Cate Bates competed in two individual classes at Zones which meant six actual rides in the individual classes). From Marlborough, Connecticut, Neumuth completed her sophomore year with a fifth in individual novice equitation at Zones. However the Mount Holyoke hunter seat team is not done, as the Lyons edged out both Northeastern University and the University of Rhode Island by a 40-39 margin in the Zones team competition and will send a full team to Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina May 2nd through 4th.

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The Zone 1, Region 3 Smorgasbord

Schools which competed in Zone 1, Region 3 during the 2025-2026 school year: Amherst College, Bentley University, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Springfield College, Trinity College, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Westfield State University, Williams College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Worcester State University.

Winter/Spring 2026 Show Schedule for Zone 1, Region 3:

Sunday, February 15 University of Connecticut (Host) at Skyz The Limit Performance Horses, South Windsor, CT 11:00AM WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, February 28 Springfield College (Host) at Lighthouse Hill Stables, East Windsor, CT 9:30AM ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, February 28 Zone 1, Region 3/4 Western Regionals at Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center, South Hadley, MA Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, March 1 Williams College (Host) at Bonnie Lea Farm, Williamstown, MA 10:00AM ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, March 7 Mount Holyoke College (Host) at Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center, South Hadley, MA Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, March 8 Zone 1, Region 3 Hunter Seat Regionals at Windstar Farm, Sterling, MA Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, March 21 WESTERN SEMIFINALS - DAY 1 Hosted by the University of Findlay at the University of Findlay Equine Animal Science Center, Findlay, OH Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, March 22 WESTERN SEMIFINALS - DAY 2 Hosted by the University of Findlay at the University of Findlay Equine Animal Science Center, Findlay, OH Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, April 4 ZONE 1 ZONES at Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center, South Hadley, MA Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Friday through Sunday, May 1 - 3 IHSA NATIONALS at Tryon International Equestrian Center, Mill Spring, NC Time each day TBA ENGLISH AND WESTERN

The University of Connecticut, which shows hunter seat in Zone 1, Region 4 shows western in Zone 1, Region 3. Colgate University, which shows hunter seat in Zone 2, Region 3, shows western in Zone 1, Region 3. Show Schedule subject to change.

Recent Region 3 Team Champions

Hunter Seat:

1997 - Mount Holyoke College
1998 - Mount Holyoke College
1999 - Mount Holyoke College
2000 - Mount Holyoke College (1999-2000
IHSA Hunter Seat National Champions)
2001 - Mount Holyoke College
2002 - Mount Holyoke College
2003 - Mount Holyoke College
2004 - Mount Holyoke College
2005 - Mount Holyoke College
2006 - Mount Holyoke College (2005-06
IHSA Hunter Seat National Champions)
2007 - Mount Holyoke College
2008 - University of Massachusetts at Amherst
2009 - Mount Holyoke College
2010 - Mount Holyoke College
2011 - Mount Holyoke College
2012 - Mount Holyoke College
2013 - Mount Holyoke College
2014 - Mount Holyoke College
2015 - Mount Holyoke College
2016 - Mount Holyoke College
2017 - Mount Holyoke College
2018 - Mount Holyoke College
2019 - Mount Holyoke College
2020 - Mount Holyoke College
2022 - Mount Holyoke College
2023 - Mount Holyoke College
2024 - Mount Holyoke College
2025 - Mount Holyoke College
2026 - Mount Holyoke College

Western (started in Region 3 Fall 2008):

2009 - University of Massachusetts at Amherst
2010 - University of Massachusetts at Amherst
2011 - Mount Holyoke College
2012 - Mount Holyoke College
2013 - Mount Holyoke College
2014 - Mount Holyoke College
2015 - Sacred Heart University
2016 - Sacred Heart University
2017 - Sacred Heart University
2018 - Mount Holyoke College
2019 - Sacred Heart University
2020 - University of Massachusetts at Amherst
2022 - Mount Holyoke College
2023 - Mount Holyoke College
2024 - Mount Holyoke College
2025 - Mount Holyoke College

Regional Qualifiers

Open Level Rider Standings

Team Standings

ZONE 1 NEIGHBORS

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Region 4 Homepage

Region 5 Homepage