The IHSA is the oldest and largest nationally competitive college riding program in the United States.
Founded in 1967 by Bob Caccione, the IHSA was the first to make equestrian sports part of the college experience for male and female students in a manner that is fun, affordable, educational and competitive. Each year over 6,500 IHSA riders of all skill levels compete individually and as teams at regional, zone, and national championship levels.
The IHSA offers opportunities for riders who are just beginning in the sport as well as for students with show experience. Eliminating the expense of shipping or even owning horses puts IHSA competitions within reach of many who would otherwise miss the equestrian experience while in college. Numerous Olympic riders, including Greg Best and Beezie Madden are alumni of IHSA.
What disciplines do the IHSA riders compete in?
There are classes designed on specific experience levels, from Beginner Walk-Trot to Open, in four disciplines
– hunter equitation, equitation over fences, western horsemanship and reining. College horse shows are like “meets”, with all teams from the region invited to compete against each other simultaneously. The national average region includes about eleven colleges, 225 total riders, and competes in 8.6 horse shows per year. Only about two-thirds of the regions offer competition in western horsemanship. There are now 30 regions and 9 zones, encompassing 48 states, 7000+ riders and over 300 teams!
