Campus Equestrian: Zone 6, Region 3

IHSA ZONE 6 - REGION 3

We normally have to look things up, but Miami University of Ohio Western Coach Beth Frey (on left) told us the Red Hawks were back at IHSA Nationals with a full Western team for the first time since 2006. On the right is Ellie Wiethe of Miami, a freshman from Columbus, Ohio who placed fourth in team ranch riding on May 2nd. Since we are compelled to look things up we found that having Semifinals closer to home may have helped the Red Hawks. 2006 was the last year of Western Zones, and in 2007 Miami had to travel to Pomona, California for Semi's. In 2019 they traveled to Wellsville, Utah for the same event. While they came back shy of Nationals on those occasions, Miami only had to go as far as Murray, Kentucky for this year's Semi. And with a fourth the Red Hawks were Nationals-bound after waiting 20 years. And Wiethe earned a quarter of their team points as Miami was eighth overall at Nationals on the Western side.

On the hunter seat side Miami of Ohio has been at Nationals with a full English Team more often than not in the 21st Century. The 2026 Red Hawks won a close race for second at Zone 6 Zones to qualify for Nationals for the fourth time in the past five seasons. Miami riders earned a top ten ribbon in seven of the eight team classes, with Caroline Stanwood (center) placing third for their best team ribbon of the weekend. A freshman from Duxbury, Massachusetts, Stanwood is seen here between head coach Heather Pinnick (on left) and assistant coach Tess Von Hemmel prior to earning seven points in team intermediate fences within the Tryon International Equestrian Center indoor on May 2nd. The Red Hawks went on to tie defending National Champion Purdue University at 21 and a half points each for seventh place.

Wilmington College has the unlikely distinction of having been in three different Western Regions the past three seasons. The Quakers were in Zone 6, Region 2 in 2023-24 but that western region was dissolved. Then they spent the 2024-25 season in Area 2.6, which was some of Zone 2, Region 5 for English along with two other former Zone 6, Region 2 western teams. It was here that Wilmington ended Ohio State's long run of Region Titles. Then the Quakers were moved back into Zone 6, joining Region 3 to compete against such historic programs as the University of Kentucky, Morehead State, Miami of Ohio and a Midway University team which had won five consecutive western region titles at the time. And through it all Maegan Pearson has been the Quaker's standout rider. The senior from Laurel, Indiana is seen here with "Ned" at IHSA Nationals on May 3rd around the time she competed in the horsemanship phase of the individual western High Point Rider competition. A level II western rider at 2024 Nationals, Pearson was the 2026 National Champion in the individual High Point, making her the top Western Open Rider nationwide for the 2025-26 season.

There was a really nice backdrop for photo opportunites in the lobby of the Tryon International indoor, and University of Kentucky hunter seat coach Jodi Wanenmacher (on left) and Wildcats individual novice equitation rider Kaitlyn Harper were kind enough to let us take their picture there. Kentucky was second to the Red Hawks in the Region 3 hunter seat team standings during the 2025-26 season. A freshman from Staunton, Virginia, Harper managed to point out of novice in her first IHSA season and then place second to Carly Akins of Miami of Ohio in the division at Zones. At Nationals the same two riders repeated these placings, which makes Harper the runner-up among all the novices nationwide this season. We wish we remembered to ask either Harper or Akins who won the class at Regionals, just to see if Akins won all three times or if Harper was tops at Regionals.

Midway University was second to Miami in the Region 3 western team standings by only 15 points. Lauren Arens-Ennis (pictured) was the lone member of the Eagles' western team to qualify for 2026 IHSA Nationals. From Julian, Pennsylvania, Arens-Ennis was second in individual level I western horsemanship at the Murray, Kentucky Semifinal on March 21st to reach Nationals where she concluded her junior year with a sixth in the same division on May 2nd.

While the first five photos on this page were all from 2026 IHSA Nationals this photo of Dylan Wilson of Morehead State University dates back to the November 17, 2024 Midway University hunter seat show. On that day Wilson competed in the limit divisions, having pointed out of novice equitation earlier in the season. In 2025-26 the junior from Ryland Heights, Kentucky was again a regional qualifier. However this time Wilson qualified on the western side, pointing out of rookie horsemanship.

From Bexley, Ohio, Zoe Meizlish of Miami University of Ohio is seen here waiting for horse draw for the limit over fences class at IHSA Nationals in Mill Spring, North Carolina on May 1st. Zone 6, Region 3 did as well as any region in the country at getting riders to 2026 Nationals. The region had seven western individual rides, six hunter seat individual rides, a rider in the Cacchione Cup class, a rider in the individual western High Point Rider class (won by Pearson) and full english and western teams entered. Miami was the only school nationwide to advance a full english and a full western team to '26 Nationals. Meizlich closed out her junior year with a fifth in the individual limit fences division.

Here is another photo from the November 17, 2024 Midway show. Lauren Hempstead (on left) and University of Kentucky assistant coach Sam Geller pose during the open fences class which started the day. From St. Louis, Missouri, Hempstead qualified for Regionals in open fences during 2025-26 which was her senior year with the Wildcats. Hempstead was certainly not alone at Regionals, as 16 hunter seat and seven western riders pointed out for Kentucky this season.

How about an indoor photo from the November 17, 2024 Midway show? After all the classes were held indoors that day. Mary Hickey of the host school poses near one of the entrances to the arena. From Paducah, Kentucky, Hickey qualified for '25 regionals in limit flat. This season the Eagles junior qualified in limit fences.

How about one more 2026 Nationals photo? This one was taken just before the presentation of hunter seat team awards on May 3rd. Annala Fricke (on left) and Clara D'Amico of Miami University of Ohio are moments away from walking out into the center of the arena with the other teams who made the top ten. Both were sophomores in 2025-26, with Fricke hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio and D'Amico from Newtown, Connecticut. Fricke showed in team limit fences, placing seventh. D'Amico showed four times, with a ninth in team open over fences her top ribbon. D'Amico was the leading hunter seat open rider in Region 3 for the season, moving up from tenth place in the 2024-25 Region 3 open rider standings to accomplish this.

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The Zone 6, Region 3 Smorgasbord

Schools which competed in Zone 6, Region 3 during the 2025-2026 school year: Miami University of Ohio, Midway University, Morehead State University, University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville and Xavier University of Ohio.

Winter/Spring 2026 Show Schedule for Zone 6, Region 3

Saturday, February 7 Miami University of Ohio (Host) at John W. Browne Stables at the Miami Equestrian Center, Oxford, OH 10:00AM WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, February 8 Miami University of Ohio (Host) at John W. Browne Stables at the Miami Equestrian Center, Oxford, OH 10:00AM WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, February 14 Midway University (Host) on campus at the Midway University Equestrian Center, Midway, KY 10:00AM ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, February 15 Midway University (Host) on campus at the Midway University Equestrian Center, Midway, KY 10:00AM ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, February 21 Miami University of Ohio (Host) at John W. Browne Stables at the Miami Equestrian Center, Oxford, OH 10:00AM WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, February 22 Miami University of Ohio (Host) at John W. Browne Stables at the Miami Equestrian Center, Oxford, OH 10:00AM WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, February 28 Zone 6, Region 3 Western Regionals Hosted by Morehead State University on campus at the Derrickson Agricultural Complex, Morehead, KY Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

Saturday, March 7 Miami University of Ohio (Host) at John W. Browne Stables at the Miami Equestrian Center, Oxford, OH Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, March 8 Miami University of Ohio (Host) at John W. Browne Stables at the Miami Equestrian Center, Oxford, OH Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, March 14 Zone 6, Region 3 Hunter Seat Regionals Hosted by Miami University of Ohio at John W. Browne Stables at the Miami Equestrian Center, Oxford, OH 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 Time TBA WESTERN ONLY

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

Saturday, March 28 ZONE 6 ZONES at Willowbroke Farm, Plymouth, MI 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

Show Schedule subject to change.

Recent Region 3 Team Champions (NOTE: Most of Zone 6, Region 2 was re-named Zone 6, Region 3 before the start of the 2010-11 season. Please visit the Zone 6, Region 2 page for previous Zone 6, Region 2 Region Champions)

Hunter Seat:

1997 - University of Findlay
1998 - Otterbein College
1999 - Otterbein College
2000 - University of Findlay
2001 - University of Findlay (2000-01
IHSA Hunter Seat National Champions)
2002 - University of Findlay
2003 - University of Findlay
2004 - University of Findlay
2005 - University of Findlay
2006 - University of Findlay
2007 - University of Findlay
2008 - University of Findlay
2009 - University of Findlay
2010 - University of Findlay
2011 - University of Kentucky
2012 - University of Kentucky
2013 - University of Kentucky
2014 - University of Kentucky
2015 - University of Kentucky
2016 - University of Kentucky
2017 - University of Kentucky
2018 - University of Kentucky
2019 - Miami University of Ohio
2020 - University of Kentucky
2022 - Miami University of Ohio
2023 - Miami University of Ohio
2024 - Miami University of Ohio
2025 - Miami University of Ohio
2026 - Miami University of Ohio

Western:

1997 - Otterbein College
1998 - Otterbein College
1999 - University of Findlay
2000 - University of Findlay
2001 - University of Findlay (2000-01
IHSA Western National Champions)
2002 - University of Findlay
2003 - University of Findlay
2004 - University of Findlay
2005 - University of Findlay (2004-05
IHSA Western National Champions)
2006 - University of Findlay
2007 - University of Findlay (2006-07
IHSA Western National Champions)
2008 - University of Findlay
2009 - University of Findlay (2008-09
IHSA Western National Champions)
2010 - University of Findlay (2009-10
IHSA Western National Champions)
2011 - University of Cincinnati
2012 - Morehead State University
2013 - University of Kentucky
2014 - University of Kentucky
2015 - University of Kentucky
2016 - University of Louisville
2017 - University of Kentucky
2018 - University of Kentucky
2019 - Miami University of Ohio
2020 - Midway University
2022 - Midway University
2023 - Midway University
2024 - Midway University
2025 - Midway University
2026 - Miami University of Ohio

Regional Qualifiers

Open Level Rider Standings

Team Standings

ZONE 6 NEIGHBORS

Region 1 Homepage

Region 2 Homepage

Region 4 Homepage