Campus Equestrian: Zone 5, Region 3 Home Page

IHSA ZONE 5 - REGION 3

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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The Zone 5, Region 3 Smorgasbord

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, September 26 Clemson University (Host) at T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena, Pendleton, SC 10:30AM WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, September 27 Clemson University (Host) at T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena, Pendleton, SC 9:30AM WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, October 10 University of South Carolina (Columbia)/Wofford College/Converse College (Co-Hosts) at the Lander University Equestrian Center, Greenwood, SC 9:00AM ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, October 11 University of South Carolina (Columbia)/Wofford College/Converse College (Co-Hosts) at the Lander University Equestrian Center, Greenwood, SC 9:00AM ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, November 7 Virginia Tech (Host) at the Alphin-Stuart Livestock Arena, Blacksburg, VA Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, November 8 Virginia Tech (Host) at the Alphin-Stuart Livestock Arena, Blacksburg, VA Time TBA WESTERN 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 with schools located 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

Regional Qualifiers

Open Level Rider Standings

Team Standings

ZONE 5 NEIGHBORS

Region 1 Homepage

Region 2 Homepage

Region 4 Homepage

Region 5 Homepage