Campus Equestrian: Zone 7, Region 1 home page

IHSA ZONE 7 - REGION 1

One thing Campus Equestrian has never done but needs to do is figure out which schools have won the most Region Titles be it English or Western or both. A quick count of titles won by Purdue University appears to show they have to date 33 Hunter Seat Region Titles dating back to the 1985-86 season (the Boilermakers also have two Western Region Titles this century). Jerry Steinmetz (not pictured) was head coach for the first 30 hunter seat titles while Kathryn Kraft (on left) has added three more since taking over for Steinmetz in mid-2022. This clearly puts Purdue among the top ten all-time for English, and probably the top five as well. Kraft is seen here with Lauren Dunnett, a junior and genetics major from White Heath, Illinois who placed seventh in team intermediate over fences at 2026 IHSA Nationals on May 2nd (Dunnett is also the current Purdue Team President). At 2025 Nationals the Boilermakers were Champion Hunter Seat Team for the first time in program history, which made 2021 St. Mary of the Woods College graduate Kraft the youngest head coach ever of an IHSA Champion English Team.

Seee here with new assistant coach JoBeth Wiberly, Jaden Perry of St. Mary of the Woods College competed at three consecutive IHSA National Events. A senior from Carmel, Indiana, Perry (on right) placed eighth in the first class held at 2026 IHSA Nationals, the individual open over fences. Two seasons ago Perry helped the Pomeroys claim their fourth-ever hunter seat region title. Perry was also the Region 1 Cacchione Cup representative during that successful 2023-24 campaign.

If someone shouts "Abby" within the confines of Cedar Lodge where the Purdue University equestrian team trains at least three people might come running. From left to right are Abigail "Gail" Shelchuk, Abby Talcott (who is the lucky one who is called "Abby") and Abby Cole, who is "Cole" to some. These are the names used by coach Kraft to tell the Abby's apart. Each of these riders competed at 2026 Nationals, with Talcott and Shelchuk both entered in individual open on the flat. In that particular division Talcott was third while Shelchuk was fifth. The defending National Champs were certainly busy at 2026 Nationals, with riders entered in all but three hunter seat classes over the three day weekend.

From LaPorte, Indiana, Anna Landing of Purdue University is seen here at 2025 IHSA Nationals. A sophomore at the time, Landing was the only member of the Boilermaker's Western Team to compete at Nationals that season. Landing was seventh in individual reining on May 3rd of '25.

This photo dates from the February 22, 2025 University of Illinois show (also named "March Madness"). On that date eleven riders took part in the lone section of open over fences including Samantha Berner (on left) and Erin Lewand (on right) of Indiana University. Seen here with head coach Kelli Hughes, Lewand (from Royal Oak, Michigan) was second in the division. Later in the day Berner (from Boca Raton, Florida) was second in her section of open flat. According to coach Hughes Lewand qualified for Regionals during the 2025-26 season though we are not sure if this was in open flat, open fences or both. We can tell you that through six fall shows Lewand was fourth in the Zone 7, Region 1 hunter seat open rider standings behind only Shelchuk, Talcott and Perry. Also the Hoosiers finished third in the Region 1 hunter seat team standings behind only Purdue at St. Mary of the Woods.

Here is another photo from the February 22, 2025 University of Illinois show (held in Ohio at Stonegate Farm). Morgan Gear (on left) and Aubrey Harper of the University of Notre Dame/St. Mary's College (of Indiana) were roomates at the time and both pointed out of limit flat that day. Gear (then a junior from Valparaiso, Indiana) was third in limit flat while Harper (then a junior from Grainger, Indiana who had trained with head coach Kerry Hilgendorf since the eighth grade) was also third in a later section. In 2025-26 Harper was the first member of the combined ND/SMC team to qualify for Regionals, pointing out of intermediate fences.

Samantha Wertz (pictured) was the first Purdue rider to compete at 2026 IHSA Nationals, earning a participation ribbon in individual open over fences on May 1st (Wertz was tied with Berner of the Hoosiers for sixth place in the Region 1 hunter seat open rider standings behind Shelchuk, Talcott, Perry, Lewand and Cole through six shows). However Wertz was an intermediate flat rider when not jumping, and on May 3rd the freshman from Zionsville, Indiana was third at Nationals in team intermediate flat. This turned out to be the best team ribbon earned by a Boilermaker at '26 Nationals, which helped the school from West Lafayette, Indiana tie Miami University of Ohio for sixth place with 21 and a half hunter seat points each.

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The Zone 7, Region 1 Smorgasbord

Schools which competed in Zone 7, Region 1 during the 2025-2026 school year: Ball State University, Butler University, Indiana University, Purdue University, St. Mary of the Woods College, Taylor University, University of Illinois (Urbana - Champaign) and University of Notre Dame/St. Mary's College (IN).

Fall 2026 Show Schedule for Zone 7, Region 1:

Saturday, September 19 Indiana University (Host) at H & H Stables, Zionsville, IN Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, September 20 Indiana University (Host) at H & H Stables, Zionsville, IN Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, September 26 Indiana University (Host) at the Greene County Fairgrounds, Bloomfield, IN Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, September 27 Indiana University (Host) at the Greene County Fairgrounds, Bloomfield, IN Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, October 3 St. Mary of the Woods College (Host) on campus at the Mari Hutman George School of Equine Studies, Saint Mary of the Woods, IN Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, October 4 St. Mary of the Woods College (Host) on campus at the Mari Hutman George School of Equine Studies, Saint Mary of the Woods, IN Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, October 24 Butler University (Host) at Sierra Woods Farm, Zionsville, IN Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, October 25 Butler University (Host) at Sierra Woods Farm, Zionsville, IN Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, November 7 St. Mary of the Woods College (Host) on campus at the Mari Hutman George School of Equine Studies, Saint Mary of the Woods, IN Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, November 8 St. Mary of the Woods College (Host) on campus at the Mari Hutman George School of Equine Studies, Saint Mary of the Woods, IN Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, November 14 Purdue University (Host) at the Henry County Fairgrounds, New Castle, IN Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, November 15 Purdue University (Host) at the Henry County Fairgrounds, New Castle, IN Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Show Schedule subject to change.

Recent Zone 7, Region 1 Team Champions (most of the region known as Zone 9, Region 1 prior to the 2010-11 season)

Hunter Seat:

2003 - Purdue University
2004 - Purdue University
2005 - University of Notre Dame
2006 - Indiana University
2007 - Purdue University
2008 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2009 - Purdue University
2010 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2011 - Purdue University
2012 - Purdue University
2013 - Purdue University
2014 - Purdue University
2015 - University of Illinois (Urbana - Champaign)
2016 - Purdue University
2017 - Purdue University
2018 - Purdue University
2019 - Purdue University
2020 - Purdue University
2021 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2022 - Purdue University
2023 - Purdue University
2024 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2025 - Purdue University (2024-25
IHSA Hunter Seat National Champions)
2026 - Purdue University

Western:

2003 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2004 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2005 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2006 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2007 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2008 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2009 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2010 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2011 - Purdue University
2012 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2013 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2014 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2015 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2016 - Ball State University
2017 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2018 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2019 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2020 - Ball State University
2021 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2022 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2023 - Purdue University
2024 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2025 - St. Mary of the Woods College
2026 - St. Mary of the Woods College

Regional Qualifiers

Open Level Rider Standings

Team Standings

ZONE 7 NEIGHBORS

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