David Hosts Goliath – the 2011 IDA National Championships

The image of the small shepherd boy taking on a giant warrior with a slingshot is somehow a very suitable one for the recent Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s National Championship held at the Canterbury Equestrian Showplace in Newberry, Florida April 30 and May 1.  This year’s event, the tenth since the IDA began the national championship, consisted of 96 riders representing 60 colleges throughout the US and Canada, all hosted by the University of Florida’s dressage team — a true David comprised of only 9 students and their coach, Bridgette Boland, who also was inducted into the IDA Hall of Fame.

While Florida’s team has won their region and qualified to compete at the IDA National Championship every year since the team began in the fall of 2005 plus they were the 2010 Reserve National Champions, they are small organization compared to the IDA powerhouses that have hosted pervious championships.  Virginia Intermont College, Centenary, St. Andrews, Cazenovia, University of Findlay, and Mount Holyoke all have a college owned riding facility and several equine faculty to help shoulder the burden. Their college administration also provides financial and human resources.  They also have the horses and tack that must be provided by the hosting college as IDA riders do not supply their own horses but select their mounts by random draw. And all except for Mount Holyoke have dozens of students majoring or minoring in an equine related course of study.

The University of Florida’s dressage team had no such support from anyone beyond the IDA itself.  Instead the members of the team, Arielle Smith, Emily Smith, Caroline Johansen, Micah Di Salvo, Sara Edmundson, Elisabeth D’Agosto, Emma Morse, Christina Notts, Stephanie Trappenberger and their coach Bridgette Boland shoulder the burden of putting on a national competition by themselves.  They found horse owners to loan mounts for the show, located a facility to rent, created and printed the programs and with zero training beyond hosting much smaller regional IDA shows handled the myriad details required with incredible aplomb.

“It was a great show,” says IDA President and Director, Center for Equine Studies; Associate Professor at Johnson and Wales University, Beth Beukema. “It was easily as good as any national competition we have ever had and to think it was done almost entirely by student labor and a coach who isn’t employed by the university is nothing short of amazing.

“I can’t say enough good things about this team of young women.  Every task they were charged with was handled beautifully. From bookkeeping and warming up the horses to keeping the show running smoothly, no one had to be told anything more than once.  It was simply done and done well. It was a pleasure working with this remarkable group of students. They are extraordinary representatives of their team and their university.”

The IDA championship was divided into two parts Team day which was held on Saturday and Individual day which was on Sunday.  The teams consist of four riders, one for each of the four divisions, Intro, Lower Training, Upper Training and First Level whose points are combined to determine overall team placing.  The 2011 IDA National Championship Team was from Lake Erie College with 38 points. They were followed by a three way tie that was broken to award the Reserve Championship to Delaware Valley College, 3rd to Otterbein, and 4th to Johnson and Wales University.  University of Findlay was fifth. University of Florida was 6th. Averett University, Virginia Intermont College, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Centenary College, Mount Holyoke, University of California, Davis were 7th thought 12th respectively.  High Point Rider for the day was Tierney Hassel of J&W as high point with 67.5 in Intro and Reserve High Point Rider was Amy Ertas from Lake Erie with 66.623 in First Level.

The champions and reserve champions for each of the four individual divisions were: First Level – Caroline Fenkel of Delaware Valley with an overall score of 67.903%,  Emily Henderson of Averett with 67.420%, Upper Training – Julia McNellis of Johnson and Wales University with 67.2%, Lizz Blaum of the University of Finlay with 66.6 %, Lower Training – Kathryn Byrd of the University of Findlay with 66.042%, Amanda Ross of Mount Holyoke with 65%, Intro – Sara Edmundson of the University of Florida with 72.5% and MaryBeth Lee from Mount Holyoke with 70.313%.

As required by IDA rules, there were two judges used.  Charlotte Terntelmann, USEF “S” Dressage Judge from Anthony Florida and Lisa Hyslop USEF “R” Dressage Judge scored the event with one judging at “C” and the other at “B” throughout the show.

Sponsors for the event included: Thornhill saddle, which provided dressage saddles for the championship team and their coach as well as the champions of each of the individual divisions, and Perris Leather which provided halters for all champion and reserve champions.  Additional sponsors included: the US Equestrian Federation, EQ Equisense Systems and Jane Savoie, Dressage Today, English Riding Supply, Westfield Whips, Techniche, NoZone Sun Protective Wear, Heritage Gloves, Kerrits, SmartPak, the USDF, Seminole Feed, Chronicle of the Horse, PetsHeadtoTail.com, Dressage Training Online, and Absorbine.

The IDA was founded as a national organization in 2001.  In 2011 there were over 60 college and university teams from the US and Canada and over 650 student riders. The IDA is the only format in the equestrian world that offers students the opportunity to represent their college as part of a dressage team.  To learn more about the IDA please visit www.teamdressage.com.

Congratulations to Bridgett Boland, the coach of the University of Florida Dressage team, who was inducted into the IDA Hall of Fame.

Contact:
Lanier Cordell
Intercollegiate Dressage Association
Public Relations & Marketing Officer
337-594-8474
lanierc@att.net

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