intermont equestrian at emory & henry college enjoys a "three-peat"

56 The Chronicle of the Horse

INTERCOLLEGIATEISSUE

Intermont Equestrian At Emory & Henry College Enjoys A “Three-Peat”

Lisa Moosmueller-Terry leads another team to a national title.

BY HALEY WEISSPHOTOS BY HANNAH PHILLIPS

Before Taylor Carroll stepped into the ring as Intermont Equestrian’s final team rider at the Intercollegiate

Dressage Association National Championships, she’d never been

more nervous in her entire life. “Somebody had calculated the

points before I rode, and they said, ‘Oh we’re sitting in third or second right now,’ ” recalled Carroll, of Garner, N.C. But Carroll took hold of her nerves to

win the introductory level team class, clinching the victory for Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College.

For Intermont Equestrian, it was the third consecutive win at the IDA National Championships hosted by Centenary College in Long Valley, N.J., on April 23-24. Prior to merging with Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va., in June of 2014, when Virginia Intermont College closed, the Virginia Intermont team had claimed the IDA title in 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2014.

Equestrian center director and IDA coach Lisa Moosmueller-Terry, who has coached the team since IDA began in 2001, said, “I’m always a little bit humbled by it—that we’re able to produce riders out of the program who are able to deal with the different

Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College riders (from left) Hannah Phillips,

Sierra Davenport, Bailey Halverson, Megan Wilson-Bost, Taylor Carroll, coach Lisa Moosmueller-Terry, Eli Worth-Jones, Karissa Donohue, Nick Martino, Morgan

Sollenberger and coach Heather McCloud celebrated a stellar team showing at IDA

National Championships.

INTERCOLLEGIATE ISSUE

May 30, 2016 • chronofhorse.com 57

horses and perform under the pressure of being in a national competition.”

For this year’s championships Moosmueller-Terry selected 20-year-old junior Nick Martino (Bel Air, Md.) to compete at first level; 21-year-old senior Karissa Donohue (Benson, N.C.) for upper training level; 18-year-old junior Eli Worth-Jones (Abingdon, Va.) for lower training level; and 21-year-old junior Carroll for introductory level.

The process of selecting riders to represent the team “is always a little bit difficult,” said Moosmueller-Terry. “There are so many riders at home who have gotten the team to this point.”

Riders from the winning team practiced on many different horses. Moosmueller-Terry emphasized the importance of adapting to each mount instead of training on them. “We work on all the different scenarios that they can control,” Moosmueller-Terry said. “There are some things the riders can’t control like drawing the horse, but they have to have a tool bag full of different recipes of their aids to use with different horses.”

“I ran through my test a lot, so it could just be second nature, and I could focus on the horse,” said Worth-Jones, who also won the individual

lower training level competition. Like his teammate Carroll, Worth-

Jones had also battled nerves. He learned to suppress his show ring anxieties by remembering his confi-dence in other intense situations.

“I’m a firefighter and EMT,” Worth-Jones said. “I do vertical rescue, search and rescue, so when I get really nervous for a dressage test I just stop thinking about the test, and I start thinking about the stuff I do in the back of an ambulance and the things that come naturally to me. That’s helped out my mental game.”

Worth-Jones, who comes from a hunt seat and western background, described his initial ride as “decent, but not the best.” His first mount was deemed lame when he exited the ring, so he was given a re-ride and went on to have “an excellent test.”

During the warm-ups on Saturday and Sunday, “I was primarily focused on just getting both of my horses moving forward and swinging through their backs,” said Worth-Jones. “I encouraged them to drop down and get into a good frame. I really enjoy working with the horse to improve its movement.”

In warm-up, Moosmueller-Terry had her riders work on their mounts’ weak spots. For the introductory level team competition, Carroll drew an older gelding who liked to stay behind his riders’ legs.

“I got on, and my coach said, ‘Don’t even pick up the reins; just hold the buckle and go forward,’ ” recalled Carroll. “If you could get him forward, he was your man.” Moosmueller-Terry then had her shorten the reins, and everything else fell into place. Although this was the hunter rider’s first year in black tack, Carroll ended up being the high-point rider with a score of 72.18 percent.

“We’re ecstatic to have a three-peat,” Moosmueller-Terry said. “I was just going to be happy to finish well. I’m always confident in the students, but there are so many

Emory & Henry College winning team member and lower level training individual winner Eli Worth-Jones had lots of reasons to smile with coaches Lisa Moosmueller-Terry (left) and Heather McCloud at the IDA National Championships.



IDA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Long Valley, N.J.–Apr. 23-24

SCHOOL 1ST LEVEL, TEST 2

TRAINING, TEST 3

TRAINING, TEST 1

INTRO LEVEL, TEST B

TOTAL

1. EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE(Nicholas Martino, Karissa Donohue, Elijah Worth-Jones, Taylor Carroll)

10 6 10 13 39

2. AVERETT UNIVERSITY(Micah Andrews, Hannah Walters, Jessica Stipic, Kristen Kelley)

9 11 3 11 34

3. JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY(Tara Proulx, Mary Kinsella, Leslie Rogers, Hannah Reichenbach)

11 13 5 4 33

Also competed: 4. Centenary College (J. Olijslager, A. DeFelice, M. Lingerman, K. Wenham), 32; 5. Otterbein University (K. Giancola, M. Majeskie, M. Heinold, A. Zanella), 30; 6. Virginia Tech (K. Mulikin, H. Dudley, L. Eidel, S. Garrett), 27; 7. Delaware Valley University (M. Rattenbur, R. Wiseman, M. Gwozdz, E. Girondo), 25; 8. University Of Connecticut (C. Raltson, S. Santacaterina, E. Heine, H. Sweeney), 24; 9. University Of Florida (R. Solch, A. Rossetti, C. Hall, C. Zuba), 23; 10. University Of Massachusetts (M. Carey, M. Amiot, B. Hryniewich, E. Levson), 21; 11. California Polytechnic State University (K. Hooper, M. McKitrick, A. McDonald, K. Eastman), 16; 12. University Of Findlay (E. Ehrman, S. Rus-sell, A. Kilbery, E. Hill), 11.

High point rider Taylor Carroll of Emory & Henry College won the introductory level team test at the IDA National Championships.

different variables with the horses. I always think that the stars and moon and everything have to line up right in order for a win to happen.”

Over the years Moosmueller-Terry has coached multiple riders who had never sat in a dressage saddle before joining her team. “It introduces the sport to non-dressage riders,” she said. “It’s really the growth of the sport with the young people. I think that’s a great benefit of IDA in general.”

Forward FocusFirst level individual winner and avid eventer Samantha Majors drew a mare who was light to her leg in the warm-up but sucked back once she entered the show ring.

“I kind of had to adjust a little bit at the last minute and play with her,” said the 22-year-old North Carolina State University senior. “I did some lengthening just to see how much I could ask before she would break gait. During the test I concentrated on staying relaxed and focused and riding the horse to make the movements the best they could be. We had a little bobble in our leg yield, but otherwise the test was pretty smooth, steady and consistent, so I was happy with it.”

Majors, of Cleveland, N.C., recalled how a gymnastics accident during her younger years has bettered her performance in the saddle. “Long story short, I basically crashed and burned,” Majors said. “It was leading up to the big state competition, and I had to work through some mental blocks, so that was a really good lesson. Whenever things go wrong, you just have to push through and put the mental blocks out of the way and remember the hundreds of times when things went right. You can’t let the one time it went wrong haunt you—that’s really helped me in my riding career.”

Majors also credited her team at NC State. “I love my team,” she said. “I’ve gotten super close to all of my team members, and I just love going to cheer for my team members and seeing them improve. They all do the same back, so it’s just really good camaraderie. We all push each other to be the best we can be.”

Upper training level winner

May 30, 2016 • chronofhorse.com 59

Emory & Henry’s individual introductory level winner Sierra Davenport celebrated her win with coaches Lisa Moosmueller-Terry (left) and Heather McCloud at the IDA National Championships.

Nick Martino showed off his trot work during his first level test on his way to a third-placed score that helped Emory & Henry College secure the win at the IDA National Championships.

Congratulations to Mount Holyoke College! 2016 IHSA Reserve National Champions

mtholyoke.edu | 413.538.2000 | Coach: Carol J. Law (CJ); Assistant Coach: Morgan Lynch



You just have to push through and put the mental blocks out of the way and remember

the hundreds of times when things went right.” —SAMANTHA MAJORS

IDA National ChampionshipsLong Valley, NJ—Apr. 23-24.sTeam 1st Level, T. 2 - 1. M. Rattenbury, Del Val University, 68.98; 2. T. Proulx, Johnson & Wales University, 68.82; 3. N. Martino, Emory & Henry College, 68.04. sTeam Trg., T. 3 - 1. M. Kinsella, JWU, 69.20; 2. H. Walters, Averett University, 68.52; 3. H. Dudley, Virginia Tech, 68.40. sTeam Trg., T. 1 - 1. M. Lingerman, Centenary College, 70.43; 2. M. Heinold, Otterbein University, 69.89; 3. E. Worth-Jones, EHC, 69.02. sTeam Intro. Level, T. B - 1. T. Carroll, EHC, 72.18; 2. K. Kelley, Averett, 70.46; 3. H. Sweeney, University Of Connecticut, 69.84. sIndiv. 1st Level, T. 3 - 1. S. Majors, North Carolina State University, 71.69; 2. N. Martino, 70.44; 3. R. Monzon, Lake Erie College, 69.85. sIndiv. Trg., T. 3 - 1. A. DeFelice, Centenary, 70.79; 2. M. Sollenberger, EHC, 69.31; 3. S. Calas, Mt. Holyoke College, 68.75. sIndiv. Trg., T. 1 - 1. E. Worth-Jones, 69.78; 2. E. Foster, Miami University, 67.71; 3. R. Petraitis, University Of Kentucky, 67.28. sIndiv. Intro. Level, T. B - 1. S. Davenport, EHC, 73.43; 2. E. Hill, University Of Findlay, 69.37; 3. H. Sweeney, UConn., 69.06.

Amanda DeFelice wasn’t deterred by the fact that her mount was the only horse in her level not from her home turf at Centenary College. “I kind of knew the horse a bit because I’ve showed at Cazenovia [College], but I had never ridden him before,” said the 22-year-old senior from Chalfont, Pa. “My coach just made me get him really forward and supple through his body in the warm-up. I just made my test really accurate—that’s kind of what I always do. My favorite part of IDA besides being on a team is getting the

University of New Hampshire senior Kathryn Wembacher’s white ribbon represented more than a fourth-placed finish at the Intercollegiate Dressage Association National Championships in the individual intro-

ductory level competition—it symbolized her fortitude through a long journey.The 22-year-old from Plainsboro, N.J., began riding when she was 10 at a

small lesson barn. She didn’t get “formal instruction—especially dressage based,” until college. She tried out for UNH’s dressage team her sophomore and junior years but was rejected each time.

“It just didn’t happen. I didn’t have great tryouts,” recalled Wembacher. “I really wasn’t a great rider coming into college.”

But Wembacher achieved her goal at the beginning of her senior year. “I’ve worked really hard throughout my time here at UNH,” she said. “I’ve really improved thanks to all of our instructors, so I finally made the team, and I really thank our coach Emily Stearns for that. Basically, I finally got a chance to show others what I can do.”

Wembacher remained positive throughout her years of tryouts: “My attitude was: ‘I can go, I can try out, and if I make it, great. If not, I got to ride a test and got feedback on what I need to work on.’ ”

Looking back, she concluded that each tryout helped her learn something new about herself and what she needed to work on in her riding. “It gave me a goal to work towards throughout my years here at UNH,” Wembacher said. “I learned to never give up. Don’t let other people tell you that you’re not good enough and you can’t do it.”

At Nationals, Wembacher rode the test with her usual resolve. “I made sure the horse was connected and moving and pushing off his hind legs into the bridle—all of that quality work—that’s really what I wanted to achieve in that ride,” she said. “It paid off—all of my hard work finally paid off.”

After graduation, Wembacher will put her equine industry and management degree to use and return to her hunter/jumper roots as a groom for Kent Farrington.

Wembacher Works Her Way Up

experience of riding different horses and seeing how being a good rider, you can make a horse go well.”

DeFelice, who began riding and dres-sage at the age of 8, rode between five and six horses per day to prepare for the IDA Championships. “I’ve always been really determined to win, and I’ve always been really motivated to ride and work really, really hard at it,” said DeFelice. “When my coach [Sarah Marchese] told me that I won she said, ‘You know, your hard work has finally paid off,’ so that was pretty cool.”

Although introductory level winner Sierra Davenport of Chilhowie, Va., claimed to have drawn the best horse in her division, her victory did not come without a few challenges. During her test, Davenport insisted her horse remain forward and in the contact because he had spooked with previous competitors.

Before attending Emory & Henry College, Davenport underwent patella realignment surgery, which put her out of riding for five months. Due to her knee issues, Davenport decided to give up her rodeo scholarship at Central Wyoming College and trans-ferred to Emory & Henry. Once she was given the go-ahead to get back in the tack, she picked up dressage.

“I had to completely learn to ride again, but dressage is so much like western—it was easy for me to pick up,” said Davenport.

“When they announced the reserve champion [in reverse order of placing, Moosmueller-Terry] and I hugged each other, and I almost started crying,” added Davenport. “I was so happy about it.”

intermont equestrian at emory & henry college enjoys a "three-peat"

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