Campus Equestrian: Zone 4, Region 4 Home Page

IHSA ZONE 4 - REGION 4

Liberty University qualified seven riders for Regionals, the second-best number in Region 4 behind only Randolph - Macon with nine. One of the seven Flames headed to Regionals on February 21st is Aliyah Hardesty (on left). Seen here with Liberty head coach Suzanne Flaig after placing second in limit flat on February 14th, the senior from Owings, Maryland is qualified in novice equitation. Hardesty is one of 14 riders to point out of novice within Region 4 in 2025-26.

The University of Richmond missed at least one IHSA season in the past three seasons but the Spiders appear to have a bright future. Alexandra Campbell, who goes by "Sasha" is seen here between her parents at the February 14th Liberty show. A junior from Culpepper, Virginia, Campbell won both of her intermediate classes that day to qualify for Regionals each time and also claimed Reserve High Point Rider honors this day.

One other rider won twice on February 14th and that rider is Emily Viger of Sweet Briar College (on right). Seen here with head coach Lizzie Fisch, Viger (pronounced "Vy-ger") won both of her limit classes. To the best of our knowledge the sophomore from Fairfax, Virginia won a question-off for the high point rider ribbon. The Vixens will host Regionals at their Harriet Howell Rogers Riding Center on February 21st.

She needed five points and she received five points! This allowed Karsyn Mason of Randolph - Macon College (on right) to qualify for Regionals in the open flat division. The senior from Montpelier, Virginia became a double-qualifier, having also done so in open fences. Yellowjackets head coach John West (on left) has three double-qualifiers in 2025-26 along with six others with one ride each at Regionals. Mason finished fifth in the Region 4 open rider standings. Remarkably eight different Region 4 open riders are qualified to ride at least once at Regionals.

From Richmond, Virginia, Lola Bender of the University of Mary Washington (on left) is qualified for Regionals in both limit divisions. After five seasons as head coach of the Eagles, Erin Grampp (on right) is planning to re-locate to Florida after the 2025-26 season. A graduate of the school when it was known as Mary Washington College, Grampp has six riders qualified for Regionals. Hopefully they keep Grampp's season going through to Zones on April 4th at Goucher College and even to Nationals in Mill Spring, North Carolina May 1st through 3rd.

Christopher Newport University finished fourth in the region in 2025-26 behind Randolph - Macon, Sweet Briar and Liberty. The Captains sent three riders to Regionals including Keelin Mielke (pictured). A sophomore from Raleigh, North Carolina, Mielke is one of the 14 Region 4 riders slated to compete in the novice division at Regionals hosted by Sweet Briar on February 21st.

Would you believe there are two riders in Region 4 this season whose last names sound like "Clapper?" While Juliana Klapper (with a "K") rides for Liberty, Peyton Clapper (pictured) competes for Longwood University. A junior from Yorktown, Virginia, Klapper is - you guessed it - headed to Regionals in novice equitation. The novice division will likely be set up in two 'heats' of seven riders each at Regionals, with six or more being called back to test. The Lancers qualified five riders (eight rides) for 2026 Regionals, five more than a year ago!

The University of Mary Washington hosted back-to-back shows on February 7th and 8th and during one of them Catherine Zavela of the College of William & Mary (pictured) reached the magic number of 36 points to qualify for Regionals. A senior from McLean, Virginia, Zavela will be joined by teammates Maria Enriquez and Charlotte Jordan. All three will be competing in that large Novice Equitation division.

Sweet Briar College watched Liberty slowly catch up with them in the overall yearly points on February 14th. One rider who slowed Liberty's momentum was Natalia Alvini-Moore of the Vixens (pictured). A sophomore from Middletown, Delaware, Alvini-Moore is seen here after winning her novice equitation class. At this moment the pressure went back on Liberty to equal the ribbon, but the Flames would in fact match the ribbon in the Pre-Novice class and later create a tie with a first in the Introductory class.

Liberty got off to a fast start on February 14th, with Anna Pemble (pictured) winning the second section of open flat. Juliana Klapper was the second rider to go for the Flames and she was a winner in intermediate flat. Save for the open fences and limit fences divisions Liberty gained ground on Sweet Briar or broke even in every division. Other riders to win blue ribbons for the Flames were Sophia Battin (in limit flat), Kate Love (novice equitation), Alexandra Dixon (pre-novice equitation) and Anna Talmadge (in introductory equitation). Love, Dixon and Talmadge won the final three classes of the day, with the scoreboard showing Liberty with 42 and both Sweet Briar and Randolph - Macon with 35. More importantly the Flames tied the Vixens at 286-all for the season, and the IHSA tiebreaker series eventually went in favor of the Flames! This means Liberty won their second Region Title in three seasons and will send a full team to Zones on April 4th. But the results of the past two seasons almost went the other way. In 2024-25 Liberty led all season long going into the final regular season show at Sweet Briar, only to watch the hosts win and take the Region Title. This time Sweet Briar led all season long, only to visit Liberty and witness the Flames take the title.

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The Zone 4, Region 4 Smorgasbord

Schools competing in Zone 4, Region 4 during the 2025-2026 school year: Christopher Newport University, College of William & Mary, Liberty University, Longwood University, Randolph - Macon College, Sweet Briar College, University of Mary Washington and University of Richmond.

Winter/Spring 2026 Show Schedule for Zone 4, Region 4:

Saturday, February 7 University of Mary Washington (Host) at EKG Stables at Hill Valley Farm, Spotsylvania, VA 11:30AM ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, February 8 University of Mary Washington (Host) at EKG Stables at Hill Valley Farm, Spotsylvania, VA 11:00AM ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, February 14 Liberty University (Host) at Liberty Mountain Equestrian Center, Lynchburg, VA 10:00AM ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, February 21 Zone 4, Region 4 Regionals Hosted by Sweet Briar College on campus at the Harriet Howell Rogers Riding Center, Sweet Briar, VA Time TBA

Saturday, April 4 ZONE 4 ZONES Hosted by Goucher College on campus, Towson, MD 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

Liberty University shows Western with schools from other regions. Show Schedule subject to change.

Recent Zone 4, Region 4 Team Champions (Most of this region was part of Zone 4, Region 1 prior to Region 4's creation in mid-2013):

Hunter Seat:

1997 - University of Virginia
1998 - University of Virginia
1999 - Randolph-Macon Womans' College
2000 - Mary Washington College
2001 - Mary Washington College
2002 - Mary Washington College
2003 - Goucher College
2004 - Mary Washington College
2005 - Goucher College
2006 - Sweet Briar College
2007 - Goucher College
2008 - University of Mary Washington
2009 - University of Mary Washington
2010 - Goucher College
2011 - University of Mary Washington
2012 - Goucher College
2013 - Goucher College
2014 - University of Mary Washington
2015 - University of Mary Washington
2016 - University of Mary Washington
2017 - Liberty University
2018 - Sweet Briar College
2019 - Sweet Briar College
2020 - Sweet Briar College
2022 - Sweet Briar College
2023 - Sweet Briar College
2024 - Liberty University
2025 - Sweet Briar College
2026 - Liberty University

Regional Qualifiers

Open Level Rider Standings

Team Standings

Zone 4 NEIGHBORS

Region 1 Homepage

Region 2 Homepage

Region 3 Homepage

Region 5 Homepage