Student Activities
Hunt Seat Team finishes season strong, three advance to regionals
The team tied for third place both days at the University of Kentucky and brought home a Reserve High Point Team award from Sunday of the Midway show. This finish left the team fourth overall in the region for the year, against intense competition and only fielding a full team the last show.
"I feel excellent about the team's performance last weekend," said MSU Equestrian Teams Coach Devin Lintzenich. "We were able to hold our own on Saturday even without a full team and when we had a full team Sunday, we finished in second, Reserve Champions. It's much harder to show with a smaller team because every rider's ride counts and everybody has to have a good day all the time."
Three riders will advance to regionals Feb. 29. Sophomore Jordyn Bagnall of Burlington, in Intermediate Flat and Open Fences; Junior Lauryn Barnett of Mason, Ohio, in Novice; and Senior Kira Danziger of Mason, Ohio, in Limit Flat.
"I have high hopes for regionals. Unfortunately, Kira and Lauryn are qualified in two of the biggest, toughest divisions. They face 23 and 15 other riders, respectively and only the top two riders from each division will qualify for zones," said Lintzenich. "Jordyn's divisions are much smaller, but even more competitive; she has been showing and placing well against the same riders all year. Some of it will come down to luck of the horses we draw. But they've been practicing hard so I know they will ride their best."
Some individual highlights from the last few weekends of competition include:
- Jordyn Bagnall won two firsts and a third in Open Fences, a first in Intermediate Flat, and a second in Open Flat.
- Kira Danziger earned second and third in Intermediate Fences.
- Craft Academy Junior Anna Edens of Olive Hill won second in Pre-Novice.
- Taylor Hicks, from Olive Hill, took home third and fourth in Introductory.
- Freshman Jessie House of Elizabethtown won two firsts and a fourth in Novice.
- Freshman Abby McCutcheon of Clintonville, W.Va., earned third in Pre-Novice.
- Freshman Emma Owens of Lexington won two thirds and a second in Limit Fences and a second and fourth in Limit Flat.
- Freshman Emily Perdue of Hendersonville, N.C., won first and fourth in Pre-Novice.
- Sophomore Chelsey Pullins from Pomeroy, Ohio, earned fourth place in Introductory.
- Sophomore Audrey Reed of Florence won two firsts, a third and a fourth in Limit Fences and a first and fourth in Limit Flat.
- Freshman Kenady Vice of Morehead came in second in Introductory.
- Junior Lauren Day from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, won a fourth place in Novice.
For more information about equestrian teams at MSU, contact Lintzenich at dslintzenich@moreheadstate.edu, call 606-783-2662 or visit www.moreheadstate.edu/equestrianteams.
Top photo: The MSU Hunt Seat Equestrian Team held its own in competitions at U.K. and Midway University Feb. 15016. Pictured in the first row, left to right: Abby McCutcheon, Jessie House, Chelsey Pullins, Kira Danziger, Emma Owens and Coach Devin Lintzenich. Back row, left to right: Audrey Reed, Lauren Day, Taylor Hicks, Emily Perdue and Jordyn Bagnall.
Left photo: Freshman Abby McCutcheon, left, and Junior Emily Perdue, right, proudly displayed the ribbons they won in equestrian competition Feb. 15-16.
Right photo: Sophomore Jordan Bagnall, above, will compete in the regional hunt seat competition, Saturday, Feb. 29.
