Tag Archives: Intercollegiate Dressage Association

Community/Charity, Dressage

Custom Saddlery Awards Intercollegiate Dressage Association National Winners with “Advantage” Saddles

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Left to right: Johnson & Wales University team members, Francesca Edwards, Lauren Friedland, Jessica Mitchell, Madison Keys, Julia McNellis (winner of first level class and Custom Saddlery Advantage saddle), Coach Crystal Taylor, Grace Pratico, Tara Proulx. (Photo courtesy of IDA)

South Hadley, MA (May 7, 2013)  – Custom Saddlery, the official saddle of the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA), awarded eight Custom “Advantage” saddles to the IDA Nationals team and individual winners. One of this year’s winners, Julia McNellis, comments, “When I found out that I won my second National Championship title, I was ecstatic, but when I learned that the saddle I won was a Custom Saddlery Advantage dressage saddle I was completely over the moon!”

The 12th Annual IDA National Championships took place on April 27-28 at Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center in South Hadley, Massachusetts.  On Team Championship Day, The Mount Holyoke College dressage team came away with the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) National Team Championship title at the MHC Equestrian Center with Johnson & Wales University finishing second and Delaware Valley College coming in third. Each rider of the winning team will receive a Custom “Advantage” saddle courtesy of Custom Saddlery.

In addition, on Individual Championship Day, four riders took home the National Individual Championship title along with winning their own Custom Saddlery “Advantage” dressage saddle. Winner of the IDA Nationals First Level division, McNellis of Johnson and Wales University, comments, “I have always dreamed of riding in a Custom Saddlery saddle, and now I am a proud owner! Thank you Custom Saddlery and their representative, Andrea, for making my first Custom fitting easy and super enjoyable!”

“The Intercollegiate Dressage Association is proud to be sponsored by Custom Saddlery as the official saddle of the IDA. Custom Saddlery brings an incredible quality product that is appreciated by riders and coaches,” said Beth Beukema, IDA president and director of Equine Studies for Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island.  “Custom Saddlery saddles are known throughout the industry as being beautifully crafted and balanced, and will be a lifelong memory for our winning riders.”

Mount Holyoke’s team members to win a Custom Saddlery “Advantage” saddle include the following: sophomore Taylor Dickinson who won first level and ranked as reserve high point rider of the day with scores above 72%; senior captain, Rachel Berlage, who placed fourth in the Upper Training division; junior Carey Lang, placing sixth in the Lower Training division; and junior Emily Murch, who rode into third place in the Introductory division. This year marks the fifth IDA championship win for Mount Holyoke since 2002, more than any other school in the league.

The 2013 IDA National Championships hosted more than 100 riders from more than 20 colleges and universities throughout North America. Custom Saddlery is proud to have sponsored the event and promote the dressage sport among the Nations up-and-coming dessage athletes.

Custom Saddlery’s deep history of support to its dressage community has resulted in various sponsorship such as recognizing “Most Valuable Riders” throughout the prestigious Florida winter circuit including the Adequan Global Dressage Festival and Gold Coast Dressage series.

For more information on Custom Saddlery, visit their website at www.mysaddle.com.

For more information contact:
Custom Saddlery, Cary Wallace
www.mysaddle.com
1-800-235-3865

Community/Charity, Competitions, Dressage, Events, USEF

Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 2012 National Championship Preview

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Riders from over 20 colleges and universities throughout the United States will converge at the Centenary College Equestrian Center in Long Valley, New Jersey for the Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 10th annual National Championship. Centenary College and their dressage team will host over 100 riders who will compete April 28th and 29th as either part of a 4 member team or as individuals in each of the IDA’s four divisions: Introductory, Lower Training, Upper Training and First Level.

The IDA is comprised of approximately 600 student riders representing 55 colleges and universities in the US and Canada, which are divided into 10 regions. The qualifying teams and individual riders earn their way to the Championship by earning points in IDA sanctioned competitions held throughout the academic year within their respective regions.

Continue reading Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 2012 National Championship Preview →

Community/Charity, Events, Jennifer Wood, Seminars

IHSA, ANRC, IDA and NCAA Representatives to Speak at Seminars during 2012 College Preparatory Invitational

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Eddie Federwisch

Wellington, FL – December 16, 2011 – Coaches representing the four main governing bodies of collegiate riding will host seminars for the young riders at this year’s College Preparatory Invitational (CPI) Horse Show. Representatives from the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), American National Riding Commission (ANRC), Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA), and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), will all be on hand. Presenting its second annual event, the 2012 CPI will be held January 13-15 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL.

Everyone is invited to attend the seminars and meet the college coaches at this year’s CPI, not just riders entered to show. On the website, www.collegeprepinvitational.com, you can sign up by purchasing the “Seminar Only”. In addition, if you purchase the seminar only, you can also purchase the “Rider Bio” to post bios, photos and videos online for coaches to see. The “Rider Bio” can only be purchased through attending the seminars. Volunteers are also welcome at the event; please contact Heidi Lengyel at heidiL@collegeprepinvitational.com to sign up.

Continue reading IHSA, ANRC, IDA and NCAA Representatives to Speak at Seminars during 2012 College Preparatory Invitational →

Championships, Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events

David Hosts Goliath – the 2011 IDA National Championships

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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.

Continue reading David Hosts Goliath – the 2011 IDA National Championships →

Championships, Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, USDF, USEF

Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 2011 National Championship

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Newberry, FL – Riders from more than 20 colleges and universities throughout the United States will converge at the Canterbury Equestrian Show Place in Newberry, FL, to compete at the Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 9th annual National Championship. More than 100 riders will compete April 30 and May 1 as part of a 4-member team or as individuals in each of the IDA’s four divisions: introductory, lower training, upper training and first level.

The IDA is comprised of 680 student riders representing 60 colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada, divided into 10 regions. The qualifying teams and individual riders have earned their way to the championship by earning points in IDA-sanctioned competitions held throughout the academic year within their respective regions.

University of Florida and its dressage team are hosting for the event. Along with their host duties, team members are among the early qualifiers for the competition, which include Delaware Valley College, last year’s National Champion Team, Virginia Intermont College, and Mt. Holyoke College. With three national championship titles each, Virginia Intermont and Mt. Holyoke have dominated the IDA since it began as a national organization in 2001.

Continue reading Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 2011 National Championship →

Championships, Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events

Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 2011 National Championship

Leave a comment

Riders from over 20 colleges and universities throughout the United States will converge at the Canterbury Equestrian Show Place in Newberry, Florida to compete at the Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 9th annual National Championship.  Over 100 riders will compete April 30 and May 1 as either part of a 4 member team or as individuals in each of the IDA’s four divisions: Introductory, Lower Training, Upper Training and First Level.

The IDA is comprised of 680 student riders representing 60 colleges and universities in the US and Canada divided into 10 regions. The qualifying teams and individual riders have earned their way to the Championship by earning points in IDA sanctioned competitions held throughout the academic year within their respective regions.

University of Florida and their dressage team are hosts for the event.  Along with their host duties, the team are among the early qualifiers for the competition which include Delaware Valley College, last year’s National Champion Team, Virginia Intermont College, and Mt. Holyoke College.  With three national championship titles each, Virginia Intermont and Mt. Holyoke have dominated the IDA since it began as a national organization in 2001.

Continue reading Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 2011 National Championship →