Skidmore Riding Team not competing at nationals
The Skidmore College Riding Team will not compete as expected as a team in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championship May 5–8, in Lexington, KY.
Although Skidmore qualified for the national competition by finishing second at the Zone II Championships on April 9, a challenge to the status of a rider led to Skidmore’s being placed third and therefore ineligible for the National competition.
The circumstances involved a rider who participated in a competition without knowing it was a U.S. Equestrian Federation-recognized competition before she matriculated at Skidmore College. Skidmore officials followed IHSA protocol and confirmed with the USEF the eligibility of this rider to compete in the Walk/Trot/Canter class for Skidmore at the Zone II finals.
Following the Zone II championships, a competing team challenged the status of this rider. The IHSA national steward initially ruled in favor of Skidmore, noting that College officials had demonstrated due diligence in confirming the rider’s eligibility. Another team appealed that decision. The IHSA executive committee then overturned the steward’s ruling, thereby disqualifying Skidmore’s rider.
No appeals of the executive committee’s decision are allowed.
Skidmore will still be represented by five riders who qualified as individual competitors for the national event.
