Campus Equestrian: Zone 5, Region 2 Home Page

IHSA ZONE 5 - REGION 2

When the University of Georgia placed second in the team competition at 2024 Zone 5 Zones in Hardeeville, South Carolina on April 6th it meant that the Bulldogs would field a full hunter seat team at IHSA Nationals for the first time in the lifetimes' of the UGA roster! Not since the 1995-96 season had the Bulldogs advanced a full English team to the year-end event. Emilie Stokes (on left, a sophomore from John's Creek, Georgia) and Robyn Nieman (on right, a junior from Franklin, Tennessee) were the second and third Georgia riders, respectively, to earn team points at an IHSA Nationals event this century when Stokes was eighth in team intermediate fences and Nieman tenth in team limit fences one class later at Tryon International in Mill Spring, North Carolina on April 4th. A day earlier Rachel Dahmer (not pictured) was ninth in team limit flat to put the first point on the board for this group of Bulldogs.

Berry College made it 20 consecutive Western Region Titles in 2023-24, winning a close race over Mississippi State for the top spot in Region 2. During that run of 20 the Vikings were IHSA Western National Champion Team on three occasions. In 2023-24 Berry senior Autumn Lance (pictured) was the Region 2 top western open rider (combined reining and rail points) and thus competed at Nationals in the individual High Point Open Rider Competition.

There are two sets of Bulldogs in Zone 5, Region 2 with Mississippi State University being the other. Head coach Ashley Glenn (on left) poses with Natalie Ruha of the Bulldogs from the state with several nicknames during the first day of 2024 IHSA Nationals. Mississippi is known to some as the Magnolia State, to others as the Hosiptality State, and to others as the Bayou State. Regardless of which nickname you choose the Bulldogs from this state had the first Region 2 rider in either ring at Nationals with Ruha, who competed in the first Western class on May 3rd (this was the first IHSA Nationals with simultanious Western and English classes in separate rings since 1997). From Alabaster, Alabama, Ruha finished her sophomore year by placing eighth in individual ranch riding that morning.

Because the English classes started nearly an hour before the first western class at Nationals on May 3rd Ruha of Mississippi State was only in the ring a very short time before Sophia Santoro of the University of Georgia (pictured) went third out of 16 riders in the individual intermediate over fences which was the second hunter seat class. A sophomore from Charlotte, North Carolina, Santoro is seen here before competing in and placing ninth in the intermediate fences on May 3rd. The Georgia Bulldogs won their second consecutive Region 2 hunter seat title in 2023-24, a feat they also accomplished in 1995-96 and 1996-97. If this group of Bulldogs can make it three straight in 2024-25 it would be the first time in program history that this will have happened.

Berry College had three riders entered at 2024 IHSA Nationals and the one who faired the best is Taylor McIntosh (pictured). The Vikings senior was previously third in individual Level I Western Horsemanship at the Murfreesboro, Tennessee Semifinal on March 24th and at Nationals in North Carolina on May 4th McIntosh is seen here after repeating the yellow ribbon. This turned out to be the best ribbon earned by a Zone 5, Region 2 rider - be that rider Western or English - at 2024 Nationals (photo courtesy Margaret Ellington/Berry College Equestrian Team).

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The Zone 5, Region 2 Smorgasbord

Schools competing in Zone 5, Region 2 during the 2024-2025 school year: Auburn University, Berry College, Emory University, Georgia College & State University, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State University, Mississippi State University, Samford University, University of Alabama, University of Georgia, University of Mississippi and University of North Georgia.

Winter/Spring 2025 Show Schedule for Zone 5, Region 2:

Saturday, February 1 Auburn University (Host) at the Auburn University Equestrian Center, Auburn, AL 9:00AM (CENTRAL TIME) ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, February 8 Mississippi State University (Host) at the Mississippi State Horse Park, Starkville, MS 12:00NOON (CENTRAL TIME) WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, February 9 Mississippi State University (Host) at the Mississippi State Horse Park, Starkville, MS 10:00AM (CENTRAL TIME) WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, February 15 Berry College (Host) at Gunby Equine Center, Mount Berry, GA 9:00AM (EASTERN TIME) ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, February 16 Berry College (Host) at Gunby Equine Center, Mount Berry, GA 9:00AM (EASTERN TIME) WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, February 22 Mississippi State University (Host) at the Mississippi State Horse Park, Starkville, MS 9:30AM (CENTRAL TIME) ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, February 23 Zone 5, Region 2 Hunter Seat and Western Regionals hosted by Mississippi State University at the Mississippi State Horse Park, Starkville, MS Time TBA ENGLISH AND WESTERN

Saturday, March 15 WESTERN SEMIFINALS - DAY 1 Hosted by Black Hawk College at the Black Hawk College East Campus Ag Arena, Galva, IL Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, March 16 WESTERN SEMIFINALS - DAY 2 Hosted by Black Hawk College at the Black Hawk College East Campus Ag Arena, Galva, IL Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, April 5 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 2 - 4 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 2 Team Champions

Hunter Seat:

1997 - University of Georgia
1998 - University of South Carolina
1999 - Berry College
2000 - Berry College
2001 - University of South Carolina
2002 - Berry College
2003 - Auburn University
2004 - Berry College
2005 - Berry College
2006 - University of Georgia
2007 - Berry College
2008 - Berry College
2009 - Berry College
2010 - Berry College
2011 - Berry College
2012 - Berry College
2013 - Berry College
2014 - Berry College
2015 - Berry College
2016 - Berry College
2017 - Berry College
2018 - Berry College
2019 - University of Alabama
2020 - Berry College
2022 - Berry College
2023 - University of Georgia
2024 - University of Georgia

Western:

1997 - ???????????????????????
1998 - Berry College
1999 - Berry College
2000 - Berry College
2001 - Berry College
2002 - Auburn University
2003 - Auburn University
2004 - Berry College
2005 - Berry College
2006 - Berry College
2007 - Berry College
2008 - Berry College
2009 - Berry College
2010 - Berry College
2011 - Berry College (2010-11
IHSA Western National Champions)
2012 - Berry College
2013 - Berry College
2014 - Berry College
2015 - Berry College (2014-15
IHSA Western National Champions)
2016 - Berry College (2015-16
IHSA Western Co-National Champions)
2017 - Berry College
2018 - Berry College
2019 - Berry College
2020 - Berry College
2022 - Berry College
2023 - Berry College
2024 - Berry College

Regional Qualifiers

Open Level Rider Standings

Team Standings

ZONE 5 NEIGHBORS

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