Maryland’s own Iron Bridge Hounds Pony Club (IBHPC) went to the US Eventing Association’s Interscholastic Eventing Championship for the first time this past weekend (May 2 – May 4) and won the whole shebang while they were at it. According to USEA, IBHPC won by more than 16 points, which was a sufficiently large margin that they knew they had won before their last rider left the cross country start box.

USEA explains on its website that the Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) was established in 2020 “to unite junior riders who are in the 5th—12th grade and provide a supportive community through which students can continue to pursue their riding interests. . . . [A]ny group of junior members in the 5th—12th grade who share a common bond, such as the same barn, school, Pony Club, or other connection” can register an IEL club. This year’s championship at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, was the IEL’s second event.

The IBHPC team consisted of three Marylanders and a Virginian.

Olive Dumais of Takoma Park rode her nine-year-old Paint mare Sweet Frijole in the Starter division. She finished on a dressage score of 24.0, the lowest score on the team. 

Claire McMillan, the “honorary Marylander” from Alexandria, Virginia, rode the seven-year-old Westphalian gelding RVR Coldstone in the Beginner Novice Rider division. The pair had one rail in show jumping and a few time penalties on cross country.

Kendal Fansler of Clarksville rode Hedgerow Farm’s eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Dassett Evermore in the Open Training division. They went double clear and finished on a dressage score of 25.47.

Emma Whitaker, also of Clarksville, rode another Hedgerow Farm horse, the 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding HSH Golden Boy, in the Training Rider division. She also went double clear, and finished on a dressage score of 27.18 .

Hedgerow Farm is located in Clarksville, Maryland.

Congratulations to each horse and rider pair on a job very well done. We will see you around the Maryland eventing scene this summer, and we expect to see each of you competing for many years to come.

Featured image: Emma Whitaker on HSH Golden Boy.

Image below: Kendal Fraser on Dassett Evermore.

Photos courtesy of USEA.