MAY 2022 THE RIDER /43 US Dressage Team to Compete at 2022 World Maccabiah Games


Unionville, PA — A team of three dressage riders will represent the USA at the 2022 World Maccabiah Games in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 12-26. The US eques- trian contingent will also in- clude a four-member jumping team. Riders in both dressage and jumping will compete on borrowed horses. This will be team


member, coach, and chef d’équipe Rebecca Cord’s third trip to the World Mac- cabiah Games. Cord, 40, of West Grove, Pennsylvania, and Clarksboro, New Jersey, is an FEI-level dressage competitor who owns and operates a training and sales business in Clarksboro, New Jersey. She is a US Dressage


Federation


(USDF) bronze and silver medalist, a USDF L gradu-


ate, and a USDF- and ARIA (American Riding Instruc- tors Association)-certified instructor. Aviva Nebesky, 63, of


Bowie, Maryland, is a for- mer social worker who now is a full-time equestrian pro- fessional. She specializes in teaching dressage to adult amateurs and to riders who struggle with fear and confi- dence issues. She has com- peted through Fourth Level and is a USDF bronze medalist and a USDF L graduate with distinction. She is also a co-host of the Dressage Today podcast. A fashion designer by


trade, notable for her mater- nity line, Lauren Sara, 59, of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, is an adult-amateur competi- tor who has been riding since childhood. Her pri- mary equestrian discipline is


eventing, and she has com- peted up to Third Level in dressage and has earned her USDF bronze medal. Fol- lowing the World Mac- cabiah Games, she plans to return her focus to eventing. “When I was notified


that I had made the team I felt an indescribable pride that I would be representing my country at the Games,” she said. “I look forward to competing with my team- mates in Israel and meeting other riders from around the world.” International eventing


the 2022 Maccabiah Games Dressage Team copyright Adrienne Morella and is for use only in conjunction with this press release. Pictured from left to right: Rebecca Cord, Lauren Sara, Aviva Nebesky, Missy Ransehausen


and dressage rider and long- time US para-dressage coach and chef Missy Ransehousen will travel with the team as an advisor. She is based out of her fam- ily’s Blue Hill Farm in Unionville, Pennsylvania.


About the Maccabiah Games: The 2022 edition of the World Maccabiah Games will be the third time in its 85-year history that equestrian sports will be in- cluded. Drawing more than 10,000 athletes representing 80 countries and participat- ing in 43 sports, the Games are the third-largest sporting event in the world. The quadrennial competition, sometimes called “the Jew- ish Olympics” and patterned after the Olympic Games, is produced by the global Jew- ish sports organization the Maccabi World Union for Jewish and Israeli athletes. More than 1,000 athletes will represent the USA at this year’s Games. Learn more at MaccabiUSA.com or Maccabiah.com.


Great Rides and Big Scores Abound on Day One of the ISHA National Championship Horse Show


Harrisburg, Pa. – May 5, 2022 – The 2022 Intercolle- giate Horse Shows Associa- tion (IHSA) kicked off the National Championship Horse Show, held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, with great rides and big scores. The first class of the


day was Individual Open Equitation Over Fences. The 17-rider division rode over a flowing course of eight jumps with options at fences two and three. As the first rider on course, Airelle Logiudice (Morganville, New Jersey) from Cente- nary University set the pace and score to beat of an 85. The rest of the field took no- tice.


Julianna Empie, a jun-


ior on the Penn State Eques- trian Team, took home the national championship with a first-round score of 85.5 aboard Big Shot, a 17.1- hand chestnut gelding pro- vided by Centenary University. “Going into the first


round, I had a couple of questions,” Empie said. See- ing Ariel, the first ride in the ring did a very tight inside turn to the last jump. I drew Big Shot, who’s a fairly large horse, I was kind of on the fence as to whether I wanted to do that. I just de- cided I wanted to hug the turn, go a little wider and not do that inside turn to the last jump to stay fairly neat. I think it worked out pretty well and I was happy with my round.” Earning the reserve


champion title with an im- pressive first-round high score of 88, was Carly Alder (Germantown, Tennessee), a senior at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Alder and her mount Hou- dini, a 16.1-hand bay geld- ing from Centenary


University had the luxury to go later in the class. “I got to kind of see what the judges were looking for,” Alder said. “They didn’t seem to be rewarding for the inside turns and the description for my horse was nice and huntery. So I just went and kept it tidy, tried to keep a nice hunter flow and have a nice round.” Judges Tom Brennan


and Todd Karn called back the top four riders for fur- ther testing, including a hand gallop fence and two changes of lead along the judges’ line. Empie’s test aboard


Big Shot impressed the judges and shot her from third to champion. Alder and Houdini had an unfortu- nate swap on the way to hand gallop fence four but her first-round score helped secure the reserve champi- onship. “I was really excited to


be riding the same horse. It was nice that I had gotten to know him a little bit from the first round,” Empie said. “I just wanted to go in and have a nice two first fences then I wanted to really show off the hand gallop. I made sure I had really nice clean transitions through the lead changes.” “I was just trying to be


conservative and keep it nice. I asked a little too hard for the hand gallop, so I had a swap, but the horse was really great,” Alder said. “He gave me a lot of confi- dence and was always there for me.”


Individual Open Equi-


tation On the Flat proved just as competitive as the over fences class. Sixteen horses and riders competed for the coveted national championship. Sweet Briar sophomore Emmy Longest (Hanover, Virginia) took the top honors with the 16-hand


nia) from University of Lynchburg in the Individual Limit Equitation Over Fences.


BIG DAY FOR RAN- DOLPH MACON Sophomore Caitlyn


Julianna Empie from Penn State Equestrian Team (PSET) was Champion in the Individual Open Equitation Over Fences aboard Big Shot from Centenary University. Pic- tured here with Houdini, PSET Head Coach Kristin Gre- tok and Bob Cacchione. Photo by EQ Media


bay gelding Quinn, pro- vided by SCAD. “I felt very confident,” said Longest. “I thoroughly enjoyed the horse I was on, so it felt like a great pair and it was a great experience.” Morehead State’s Jor-


dyn Bagnall (Jupiter, Florida) aboard Scottie, a big chestnut gelding from Cazenovia College, rode to reserve champion with Empie taking third on Ivan, a 16-hand black gelding


from Long Island Univer- sity.


After a two-year hiatus


due to the COVID-19 pan- demic, the atmosphere at the National Championship Horse Show is electric. Coaches, riders and horses look fresh and ready to com- pete.


Scores throughout the


day continued to trend high with the high score of the day being a 90 by Dakota Banks (Dallas, Pennsylva-


Giese (Aylett, Virginia) has written her name in the Ran- dolph Macon Equestrian Team (Ashland, Virginia) history books. As the first rider in the school’s history to qualify for Nationals, Geise topped the field 16 to take home champion in the Individual Novice Equi- tation on the Flat. “This is my first year


competing in, IHSA due to COVID last year as a fresh- man,” Geise said. “I’ve had my amazing coach obvi- ously help me through our regular IHSA shows. I pointed out in the Novice di- vision and I placed second at Regionals. And then I went to St. Andrews for Zones and got first. And now I’m here!” Geise drew the ride on


River, a 15.3-hand bay geld- ing from Renesselear Poly Institute. “He was such a good boy. He has smooth canter I feel like I could re- ally equitate,” Geise said. “They told me going in that he was such a good boy and


Carly Alder, senior at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), earned Reserve Champion in the Individual Open Equitation Over Fences with Centenary University’s Houdini. In the winner circle with SCAD head coach Ash- ley Henry, assistant coach Tatum Tatreau and Bob Cac- chione. Photo by EQ Media


that I could just sit there and help him out and support him. And he was a rock star.”


Randolph Macon


Equestrian Team Head Coach John West rode every step of the flat class with Geise and River. West has been with Randolph Macon for five or six years and de- spite the trying times through COVID he’s seen his team – and Geise – re- ally step up to the plate. “She’s worked so hard for this,” he said. “She did a great job at zones, really showed us what she was made of and I’m very proud of her.”


ABOUT THE IHSA The Intercollegiate


Left: Elizabeth Novicki celebrates her Championship in the Individual Limit Equitation Over Fences with her St. Lawrence teammates. Right: Julianna Empie gets a congratulatory hug from a fellow member of the Penn State Equestrian Team after winning Champion in the Individual Open Equitation Over Fences.. Photos by EQ Media


Horse Shows Association (IHSA) welcomes all gen- ders at a range of riding lev- els and offers individual and team competition in hunter seat equitation, Western horsemanship, ranch riding and reining at more than 400 member colleges and uni- versities. Membership in IHSA means that college students can participate in


horse shows regardless of their experience or financial status. Students compete from beginner through ad- vanced with suitable, pro- vided horses, eliminating the expense of horse owner- ship.


Founded in 1967 by


Bob Cacchione, it is the old- est and largest intercolle- giate


equestrian


organization with 10,000 members in 47 states and Canada. IHSA college and university team participa- tion is represented through a variety of programs, includ- ing varsity athletics, aca- demic departments and club sports. IHSA offers valuable hands-on experience and professional development in multiple facets of the equine industry. Many IHSA teams participate in service proj- ects, giving back to their communities. Through the IHSA, students enhance their college experience and develop the tools that help build successful careers. For more information,


go to IHSAinc.com or con- tact media@IHSAinc.com .


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