Campus Equestrian: Zone 5, Region 1 Home Page

IHSA ZONE 5 - REGION 1

Trivia question for future generations: Who won the first Western class at 2026 IHSA Nationals? It was Faith Dady of Middle Tennessee State University! Seen here within the Tryon International Equestrian Center indoor on May 1st, Dady was a blue ribbon winner in individual ranch riding that morning. We were also told that the junior coincidentally from Murfreesboro, Tennessee was previously involved with YEDA (Youth Equestrian Development Association) and was the highest placing YEDA Alumni according to several in attendance at Nationals that morning.

From Brevard, North Carolina, Sewanee freshman Lily Carter is seen here after winning the team intermediate over fences class at 2026 Zone 5 Zones in Hardeevllle, South Carolina on March 28th. Carter would be the only member of the Tigers to win a team class that day. For many years Sewanee has been identified in IHSA show programs by their proper name the University of the South. However in 2025-26 all signage has been modified to say Sewanee. Starting next season Campus Equestrian will identify the school only by the Sewanee name (though we might mention they have been called the University of the South on previous occasions).

In 2025-26 Christen Khym (on left) coached more than one school for the first time. The long-time head coach at Maryville College did double duty as head coach of the new Carson - Newman University IHSA team. However in this photo Khym is seen with Aili King of Maryville during Zone 5 Zones on March 28th. Pronounced "Eye-Lee," Aili King just missed advancing to IHSA Nationals, as the senior from St. Gabriel, Louisiana was third in individual open over fences which was still one of the best ribbons earned for a Region 1 rider that day. King was also fourth in individual open on the flat later that day.

Murray State University advanced two Western riders to 2026 IHSA Nationals with Morgan Ekstrom (center, with her parents) being one of them. A junior from Frewsburg, New York, Ekstrom was third in individual open reining at Semifinals which the Racers hosted. This was the first season for Murray State following the retirement of long-time head coach Sue Robinson. in 2025-26 Travis Fortune coached the Western team while McKenna Debus coached Hunter Seat, the latter coming over from Wilson College after several seasons there. Both Fortune and Debus are Murray State alums.

Middle Tennessee State University was the runner-up hunter seat team in Region 1 behind Sewanee. Ariel Higgins (on right, who is also an MTSU graduate) coaches both the Western and English teams for the Blue Raiders. On the left is Keira Wagner, a senior from Columbia, Tennessee who is one of several MTSU riders to compete both hunter seat and western. Wagner's final English show produced a fifth in individual intermediate over fences and a seventh in individual limit flat at Zones on March 28th.

But Wagner and Higgins both knew Wagner's time riding for the Blue Raiders was not over, for Wagner had multiple Western rides at 2026 IHSA Nationals yet to come. Middle Tennessee State had dominated at the Murray, Kentucky Semifinal, besting runner-up Albion College by a 44-26 score. Wagner went undefeated on March 22nd, winning team level II western, team ranch riding and individual level I western all in the space of four classes! At Nationals Wagner was tenth in team level II, fifth in team ranch riding and the blue ribbon winner in her final IHSA undergraduate ride in individual level I western horsemanship. Wagner and Higgins are seen here shortly before Wagner added five points to the Blue Raider's eventual total of 29.5 points at '26 Nationals.

Over the past two seasons Sewanee has become a regular paricipant in the annual Holiday Tournament of Champions invitational, held every year the first Saturday in December. Isabella Fioretti, a freshman from Milton, Georgia, is seen here in the lobby of the Centenary University equestrian center last December 6th before placing sixth in intermediate flat for the Tigers. Sewanee was one of 15 schools to compete in the event, with all but one of the teams an eventual region champion and nine of which fielded a full team at 2026 Nationals.

Once again Savannah College of Art & Design hosted 2026 Zone 5 Zones and this season's event brought out many IHSA VIP's including founder and director emeritus Bob Cacchione (on right). On the left is Tennessee Tech head coach Becky Huddleston, who herself received the IHSA's Lifetime Achievement Award at 2024 IHSA Nationals (shared that year with Julie Mann). In the middle is Emma Herron of Tennessee Tech, a junior from Nashville, Tennessee who placed ninth in individual novice equitation at Zones on March 28th. Of the seven Region 1 schools which competed hunter seat in 2025-26 only four of them (Sewanee, MTSU, Maryville and Tennessee Tech) had at least one rider entered at '26 Zones.

Middle Tennessee State had the most individual rides of any Region 1 school at Zones with six (five actual riders, with Wagner showing twice). Blue Raiders senior Grayson Hutchins (on right, with her Mother) got to compete not far from home in what turned out to be her final IHSA show. Hutchins is from Charleston, South Carolina, which is roughly a 90 minute drive from Hardeeville. Hutchins was eighth in individual intermediate on the flat that day.

Another trivia question for future generations: Who was the first Carson - Newman University rider to earn a ribbon at an IHSA show? It was Elizabeth Khym in limit fences on September 20th, 2025! Khym is seen here with her fourth place ribbon won at the 9/20/25 Sewanee show. The Eagles went on to finish in sixth place within the Region 1 hunter seat team standings in their inaugural season (photo courtesy Christen Khym).

There were no shortages of Khym family members in Region 1 in 2025-26. Joshua Khym (on left) rode on his Aunt Christen's Maryville College team (she is on the right). From Nashville, Tennessee, Khym finished his sophomore year by placing fifth in individual introductory equitation. Maryville was third overall in Region 1 for hunter seat, only 25 points behind MTSU in the 2025-26 team standings.

The top open riders in Region 1 did as well as anyone at 2026 IHSA Nationals. The Region 1 rider with the most combined open reining and open horsemanship points was Marci Leath of Middle Tennessee State University (pictured). A senior from Columbia, South Carolina, Leath placed third in the Individual Western High Point Rider class, the two-phased division which determines the season's top western rider. So why is Leath holding a second place ribbon? It is because Leath rode three other times at '26 Nationals, earning a sixth in team open reining, a second in team open horsemanship and a second in individual open reining which is the ribbon in this photo taken on May 2nd.

Emma Sameth of Sewanee did even better at Nationals, placing second in the Cacchione Cup Competition. Seen here at Zones with first-year head coach (and former Cazenovia College rider) Savannah Mannes, Sameth (on left) had the fourth best Cacchione over fences judge's score (an '86') and the third best flat judge's score (an '86.5') but after the work-off phase moved up to reserve champion status behind only defending and repeat champion Alex Alston of SCAD. A junior from Pottersville, New Jersey, Sameth was the only Region 1 individual rider with a top two placing at Zones. Sameth won the individual open over fences and went on to place fourth in that division at Nationals on May 1st.

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The Zone 5, Region 1 Smorgasbord

Schools which competed in Zone 5, Region 1 during the 2025-2026 school year: Arkansas State University, Carson-Newman University, Maryville College, Middle Tennessee State University, Murray State University, Tennessee Tech University, University of the South, University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Western Kentucky University.

Winter/Spring 2026 Show Schedule for Zone 5, Region 1

Saturday, February 7 Tennessee Tech University (Host) at Hyder-Burks Agricultural Pavillion, Cookeville, TN 2:00PM (CENTRAL TIME) WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, February 8 Tennessee Tech University (Host) at Hyder-Burks Agricultural Pavillion, Cookeville, TN 10:00AM (CENTRAL TIME) WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, February 14 Middle Tennessee State University (Host) at Tennessee Miller Coliseum, Murfreesboro, TN 9:00AM (CENTRAL TIME) ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, February 15 Middle Tennessee State University (Host) at Tennessee Miller Coliseum, Murfreesboro, TN 9:00AM (CENTRAL TIME) ENGLISH ONLY

Friday, February 20 Middle Tennessee State University (Host) at Tennessee Miller Coliseum, Murfreesboro, TN 2:00PM (CENTRAL TIME) WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, February 21 Middle Tennessee State University (Host) at Tennessee Miller Coliseum, Murfreesboro, TN 10:00AM (CENTRAL TIME) WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, February 22 Zone 5, Region 1 Western Regionals Hosted by Middle Tennessee State University at Tennessee Miller Coliseum, Murfreesboro, TN Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Friday, March 6 University of the South (Host) on campus at the Howell Equestrian Center, Sewanee, TN 9:00AM (EASTERN TIME) ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, March 7 University of the South (Host) on campus at the Howell Equestrian Center, Sewanee, TN 9:00AM (EASTERN TIME) ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, March 8 Zone 5, Region 1 Hunter Seat Regionals hosted by the University of the South on campus at the Howell Equestrian Center, Sewanee, TN Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, March 21 WESTERN SEMIFINALS - DAY 1 Hosted by Murray State University at the William "Bill" Cherry Agricultural Exposition Center, Murray, KY 9:00AM WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, March 22 WESTERN SEMIFINALS - DAY 2 Hosted by Murray State University at the William "Bill" Cherry Agricultural Exposition Center, Murray, KY 9:00AM WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, March 28 ZONE 5 ZONES Hosted by Savannah College of Art and Design at the Ronald C. Waranch Equestrian Center, Hardeeville, SC Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Friday through Sunday, May 1 - 3 IHSA NATIONALS at Tryon International Equestrian Center, Mill Spring, NC Time each day TBA ENGLISH AND WESTERN

All times listed are local time. Show Schedule subject to change.

Recent Region 1 Team Champions

Hunter Seat:

1997 - University of the South
1998 - University of the South
1999 - University of the South
2000 - University of the South
2001 - University of the South
2002 - University of Kentucky
2003 - University of the South
2004 - University of the South
2005 - University of the South
2006 - Maryville College
2007 - University of the South
2008 - Vanderbilt University
2009 - Murray State University
2010 - University of the South
2011 - University of the South
2012 - University of the South
2013 - Vanderbilt University
2014 - Middle Tennessee State University
2015 - Vanderbilt University
2016 - Vanderbilt University
2017 - Vanderbilt University
2018 - Vanderbilt University
2019 - Vanderbilt University
2020 - Middle Tennessee State University
2021 - Murray State University
2022 - University of the South
2023 - Maryville College
2024 - University of the South
2025 - University of the South
2026 - University of the South

Western:

1997 - Morehead State University
1998 - Tennessee Tech University
1999 - Midway College
2000 - University of the South
2001 - Midway College
2002 - Midway College
2003 - Middle Tennessee State University
2004 - Middle Tennessee State University
2005 - Middle Tennessee State University
2006 - Middle Tennessee State University
2007 - Middle Tennessee State University
2008 - Murray State University
2009 - Murray State University
2010 - Middle Tennessee State University
2011 - Murray State University
2012 - Middle Tennessee State University
2013 - Middle Tennessee State University
2014 - Middle Tennessee State University
2015 - Middle Tennessee State University
2016 - Middle Tennessee State University
2017 - Middle Tennessee State University
2018 - Middle Tennessee State University
2019 - Murray State University
2020 - Middle Tennessee State University
2021 - Middle Tennessee State University
2022 - Middle Tennessee State University
2023 - Middle Tennessee State University (2022-23
IHSA Western National Champions)
2024 - Middle Tennessee State University (2023-24
IHSA Western National Champions)
2025 - Middle Tennessee State University
2026 - Middle Tennessee State University

Regional Qualifiers

Open Level Rider Standings

Team Standings

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