Showing

 

The UPenn Equestrian Team competes with the International Horse Show Association. We are currently part of Zone III Region V, along with Drexel University, Salisbury University, Temple University, University of Delaware, Valley Forge Military College, Villanova University, and Washington College. You do not need to have your own horse or have previous showing experience to compete.
 

Basics:
You do not need your own horse or even any previous showing experience. Each IHSA show has Open, Intermediate, and Novice flat and fences (you may compete in both flat and fences or just one of the two if you prefer), as well as Advanced Walk Trot Canter, Beginner Walk Trot Canter, and Walk Trot. You will be placed in one of these levels by our coaches.

You are required to lesson the week before any show if you are signed up. There are approximately six shows in the fall semester and four shows in the spring, along with All Ivies, Regionals, Zones, and Nationals. If you cannot show in a show you are signed up for, you will be responsible for the show fees ($30 per class). We will do our best to let you know when the final scratch date is before the fee must be paid. However, if you know in advance you will not be able to attend a show, please let us know ASAP. You are not required to show at every show, so you can do as many or as few as you would like. 

Once you get to the show you will be given a horse out of a random horse draw. You do not get to school the horse, but you are given a short description of the horse.  

If you are interested in showing, you must register with the IHSA. The fee for the year is $45, and you will receive an e-mail with more detailed instructions from the team once you have paid this fee. 

Pointing Up:
Don't worry, you won't spend your entire IHSA career in the level you start at. If you show regularly, you can point up into the next level. Generally, you need 36 points to move on to the next level, and you get these points based on your placings at the shows.

1st place: 7 points
2nd place: 5 points
3rd place: 4 points
4th place: 3 points
5th place: 2 points
6th place: 1 point

These points will carry over from year to year. Once you get 36 points in your division, you will move up to the next level and you will also qualify to show in Regionals. If you place in the top two in your class at regionals, you can then move on to Zones.

For open riders this works a bit differently. Your points are the same, but they do not carry over from year to year. Instead, each year an open rider starts with 0 points. He or she can qualify for regionals by earning 28 points in the year.

 

All Ivies:
All Ivies is not an IHSA show, though it runs in the same manner. All Ivies is simply a show where most of the Ivy League schools get together to have a friendly competition between one another. There are no points from this show, but it is held every April and allows for some good experience without having to worry about points.