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For the first time since 2015 Clemson University advanced a
full Western team through to IHSA Nationals. And the Tiger
with the most rides at 2026 IHSA Nationals was Samantha
Johnson (pictured). From Medina, Minnesota, Johnson was
third in team open reining, third in team open horsemanship
and the fifth-place winner in the individual High Point Open
Rider division. The High Point Open determines the top
Western IHSA rider for the season. While the fifth-place
announcement came after the classes had been completed, the
third in open horsemanship came in the last class held
during Johnson's sophomore year.
Johnson provided Clemson University with 14 of their 27.5
points at 2026 Nationals, but Anita Sharma (pictured)
delivered the Tiger's best ribbon of the weekend with a
second in team beginner horsemanship. The freshman from
Roswell, Georgia added eight points to the Tiger's total,
which resulted in a sixth-place finish out of twelve teams
entered. From 2013 to 2017 Clemson won five consecutive
Zone 5, Region 3 Western Region Titles, but this season
the Tigers were a member of what is called IHSA Area 4.0
in western circles. Of the five schools in this area,
four schools show hunter seat within Zone 4. And
remarkably all five Area 4.0 schools show hunter seat in
five different IHSA English Regions!
One Clemson hunter seat rider qualified for 2026 IHSA
Nationals and she is Caroline Stroud. Seen here with her
family at Zone 5 Zones on March 28th, the senior from
Lexington, South Carolina was second in individual novice
equitation at the Ronald C. Waranch Equestrian Center in
Hardeeville, South Carolina to advance to Nationals in
the division. The Tiger's hunter seat team finished in
third place among eleven schools which competed in Region 5
during the 2025-26 school year.
Following the November 8th College of Charleston show Eva
Kennedy of the University of South Carolina (center) was in
second place in the Region 3 hunter seat open rider standings.
A sophomore from Toronto, Ontario, Kennedy is seen here with
coaches Theresa MacFawn (left) and Angela MacFawn during the
November 8th show held at Highfields Event Center in Aiken,
South Carolina. Though Charleston hosted the competition
Highfields is actually closer in land miles to USC's Columbia
campus (UPDATE: Kennedy went on to take first place in the
region's hunter seat open rider standings. Kennedy then was
second at Zones in the Cacchione Cup competition to advance
to IHSA Nationals in the division the first weekend of May).
Leading the open rider standings after three shows was Lily
Wilson of the College of Charleston (pictured). A freshman
from Parker, Colorado, Wilson was not only up by five points
in the standings she was also reserve high point rider on
November 8th. Much later on in the season Wilson was second
in open flat at Regionals on March 7th, which made her one of
five Cougars to advance individually to Zones on March 28th.
Just after the season ended Ally O'Reilly of Georgia Southern
University (on right) e-mailed us a list of the Eagles who
qualified for Regionals in 2025-26. And because O'Reilly was
one of them we thought we would include her photo on this
page! Seen here with head coach Eleanor Ellis, the junior
from Charleston, South Carolina qualified in both
Intermediate divisions. Four other Eagles qualified for
Regionals and a photo of one of them is found further down
this page if you keep scrolling!
All the photos you see on this page (starting with the
photo of Kennedy) come from the November
8th College of Charleston show. And during that show
Diana Tkachuk of Wofford College (on left) qualified for
Regionals. The senior from Campobello, South Carolina
was fourth in class 20 (of 22 that day), the third
section of introductory equitation to point out of the
division. Head coach Gwen Titus Maitland (on right) has
kept the Terriers in the running for a Region Title deep
into each of the last two seasons.
Through the first three shows of the 2025-26 season Clemson
University was only 24 points behind leader Charleston and
less than 15 behind Wofford and South Carolina (Columbia).
Sara Norton of the Tigers (on right, with head coach Lexie
Clark) needed three points to qualify for Regionals in
novice equitation on November 8th. However the junior from
Chapin, South Carolina did even better than that, winning
the blue ribbon in the first of three sections of novice
that day.
At least two riders at the Charleston show on November 8th
claimed Campobello, South Carolina as their hometown. Halle
Aho of Converse University (pictured) is a sophomore from
Campobello and this show marked her debut in pre-novice.
Already qualified for Regionals in introductory equitation,
Aho was third in a class of four while picking up the canter
for the first time at an IHSA event.
Most of the teams present on November 8th brought along a
team tent, which provided protection from the sun or the
rain if necessary. One of these teams is the University of
South Carolina at Aiken, which was the school which traveled
the shortest distance to get to Highfields. Aiken head
coach Kate Bailey (on right) poses with Kaitlyn Ingraham of
the Pacers in front of their team tent. A second semester
junior from Tabernacle, New Jersey at the time, Ingraham is
team captain for the 2025-26 season.
Introductory riders had much to celebrate on November 8th
including Reagan Locklear of the University of South Carolina
(Columbia). Seen here with her Mother, the junior from Lake
Wylie, South Carolina needed two points to qualify for
Regionals. Instead Locklear won the class, which provided
her with her first blue ribbon in IHSA competition as well as
a trip to Regionals on March 7th.
Eliza Williams of Lander University poses with "Snip" on
November 8th. A junior from Rock Hill, South Carolina,
Williams was close to pointing out of novice after placing
fourth in the division that day.
Cadence Caudron of Coastal Carolina University (on left) was
already qualified in novice entering the day on November 8th.
Seen here with head coach Kendra Riley, Caudron pointed out
at one of the shows held October 4th and 5th at Foothills
Equestrian Center in Tryon, North Carolina. Region 3 held
eight shows in 2025-26 (thankfully no weather cancelations
this season) with at least two in three different states
(South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia)!
After three shows Riley Kopchinski of Furman University
(center) was tied for fifth in the Region 3 open rider
standings. A senior from Greenville, South Carolina,
Kopchinski is seen here with co-coaches Muffin Forrester
(on left) and Leslie Huffman shortly after the start of
the November 8th show.
You can't get exactly six points with one ride at an IHSA
show because a winning blue ribbon will give you seven
points and a runner-up red ribbon will give you five
points. Karsyn Skelton of Georgia Southern University
needed six points to qualify for Regionals on November
8th but had to take the extra point with a first
instead. This still meant the junior from Bethlehem,
Georgia advanced to Regionals in novice equitation. Skelton
is seen here inside coach Ellis's golf cart after the
point-up. Skelton joined Kirsten Smith (in limit fences),
Meagan Carroll (in novice), Sophia Guthrie (in
introductory) and O'Reilly as one of the five Georgia
Southern riders to qualify for Regionals in 2025-26.
From Marion, South Carolina, University of South Carolina
junior Haley Brady (pictured) needed a point and received
a point in novice equitation to advance to Regionals on
Novmeber 8th. The Gamecocks had won the previous
three Region 3 Region Titles headed into the current season.
But in 2025-26 the College of Charleston came out on top as
the Region Champion. Another of the Cougars' riders to
qualify for Regionals was Maggie Armes (pictured). A
senior from Beaufort, South Carolina, Armes qualified for
Regionals in introductory way back on opening day
(October 4th). On March 7th her second in the same
division at Regionals sent Armes on to Zones on March
28th in Hardeeville, South Carolina. For the first time
in four years Charleston will field a full hunter seat team
at Zones. The Cougars will join the University of the
South, Berry College, Texas State University at San Marcos
and host Savannah College of Art & Design in the
five-way team competition. The top two teams will advance
to IHSA Nationals May 1st through 3rd in Mill Spring, North
Carolina. If Charleston gets through they will finish their
season a few miles from where it started on October 4th.
(UPDATE: While the Cougars were third at Zones and thus did
not take a full team to Nationals, Armes was second in
individual introductory on March 28th to reach Nationals in
the division. Another Charleston rider to place second at
Zones was Meredith Miramonti, who scored the red ribbon in
individual limit flat. Both Armes and Miramonti can say
that they did better at Nationals than at Zones. On May
1st Miramonti was the individual limit flat champion while
Armes was the individual introductory champion a day later). |
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 Schools
which competed in Zone 5, Region 3 during the 2025-2026 school
year: Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University,
College of Charleston, Converse College, Furman University,
Georgia Southern University, Lander University, University of
South Carolina (Columbia), University of South Carolina at
Aiken, Wesleyan College and Wofford College.
Fall
2026 Show Schedule for Zone 5, Region 3
 Saturday,
October 10 University of South Carolina (Columbia)/Wofford College/Converse College (Co-Hosts) at the Lander University Equestrian
Center, Greenwood, SC Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY
Sunday,
October 11 University of South Carolina (Columbia)/Wofford College/Converse College (Co-Hosts) at the Lander University Equestrian
Center, Greenwood, SC Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY
Saturday,
November 14 Georgia Southern University (Host) at Evermore
Farm, Brooklet, GA Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY
Sunday,
November 15 Georgia Southern University (Host) at Evermore
Farm, Brooklet, GA Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY
Clemson University shows Western in Zone 4. Show Schedule subject to change.
Recent Region 3 Team Champions (some of this region
known as zone 5, region 4 1995-2002 while some schools were part of Region 2 prior to mid-2012)
Hunter Seat:
1997 - College of Charleston
1998 - College of Charleston
1999 - College of Charleston
2000 - College of Charleston
2001 - College of Charleston
2002 - University of Florida
2003 - University of Florida
2004 - Savannah College of Art & Design
2005 - College of Charleston
2006 - College of Charleston
2007 - College of Charleston
2008 - College of Charleston
2009 - College of Charleston
2010 - College of Charleston
2011 - Savannah College of Art & Design
2012 - Savannah College of Art & Design
2013 - College of Charleston
2014 - College of Charleston
2015 - College of Charleston
2016 - College of Charleston
2017 - College of Charleston
2018 - College of Charleston
2019 - University of South Carolina
2020 - Georgia Southern University
2021 - Clemson University
2022 - College of Charleston
2023 - University of South Carolina
2024 - University of South Carolina
2025 - University of South Carolina
2026 - College of Charleston
Western:
1997 - ???????????????????????
1998 - ???????????????????????
1999 - ???????????????????????
2000 - Wesleyan College
2001 - University of Florida
2002 - Georgia Southern University
2003 - Wesleyan College
2004 - University of Florida
2005 - University of Florida
2006 - Georgia Southern University
2007 - University of Florida
2008 - Florida State University
2009 - Florida State University
2010 - Florida State University
2011 - University of Florida
2012 - Florida State University
2013 - Clemson University
2014 - Clemson University
2015 - Clemson University
2016 - Clemson University
2017 - Clemson University
2018 - University of Florida
2019 - University of Florida
2020 - University of Florida
2022 - University of Florida
2023 - University of Florida
2024 - University of Florida
2025 - University of Florida
2026 - Clemson University
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ZONE
5 NEIGHBORS