Equestrian competes at nationals

UW's Erin Downey competed last weekend at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) National Championship Show.

UW’s Downey places 15th at National Championship Show

By UW Media Relations

The University of Wyoming’s Erin Downey placed 15th in her division last weekend at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) National Championship Show.

Downey, an undeclared junior from Anchorage, Alaska, was the first UW contestant to qualify for nationals since Michelle Schwope of Lovell and Amy Goodson of Sundance represented the school in 2004.

“She had a really hard horse and I think she was one of the few riders who did have a hard draw,” said UW coach Kari Randle, who skipped her own graduation ceremony to accompany Downey to California for the three-day show that featured some 420 riders. “It was an amazing show and I am so proud of Erin for just making it to nationals.”

Downey competed against 19 other riders in the Intermediate Equitation On The Flat division. Kaitlyn Kurtz of the University of Miami of Ohio won first place in the class, followed by Charlotte Kramer of Syracuse University and Lorrin Mortimer of the University of Georgia.
The University of Kentucky (Hunter Seat) and Ohio State University (Western) won team championships inside the Equidome at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

The club’s volunteer coach, Randle was one of UW’s nearly 1,500 graduates this year. She received a degree in animal science.

The IHSA, founded in 1967, includes more than 300 member institutions and 6,500 riders across the United States and Canada. For more information, go to the Web site at http://www.ihsainc.com/.

UW and Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne are the only schools in Wyoming that sponsor IHSA teams.