Photo courtesy of the Athletics Department
The MHC equestrian team placed first at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Show on Feb. 29.
Photo courtesy of the Athletics Department Sierra Dunn ’22 and Kristina Honour ’22 placed.
BY GIGI PICARD ’22
The Mount Holyoke equestrian team traveled to Hadley Farm to compete at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Show on Saturday, Feb. 29. The Lyons picked up their second-straight High Point Champion title, finishing with 44 points. Their competition included Springfield College with 40 points, UMass with 29, Worcester State University with 24 and Smith College with 23.
Kristina Lester ’22 and Tori Fletcher ’22 competed in the first section of intermediate fences. Lester earned a first place finish and Fletcher came in third. Sierra Dunn ’22 won the second section and Harriet Thomson ’20 came in fourth.
In Limit Fences, which had four splits, Sarah Etzel ’20 made a skilful trip, earning a fifth-place finish in the first split. Ana Earle ’22 took fourth in the next split. Kristina Honour ’22 posted a third-place finish in the third split and Maya Brody ’20 placed fourth.
“I feel really good about my rides on Saturday. I felt focused and confident,” Honour said.
Sara Hearn ’21 and Franny Eremeeva ’20 placed third and fifth in the open flat event. Dunn took on the Intermediate Flat and was awarded a blue ribbon for the team.
Azuna Sawada ’23 placed fifth in the Introductory for their Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) debut.
“Since all my team members were cheerful and really supportive, I could feel I’m actually a part of the team even though I was by myself when I rode,” Sawada said. “All my teammates’ cheering was my motivation.”
Acadia Ferrero-Lampron ’23 competed in the last section of the limit flat, placing third. It was Ferrero-Lampron’s debut as well.
“Going into the show, I felt pretty nervous because it was my first show and I didn’t know what to expect,” Ferrero-Lampron said. “Afterward, I felt really proud of myself and pleased with the results. I’m glad to have my first show under my belt and I am excited for the next one.”
Honour earned the title of the reserve limit High Point Rider, and Dunn was awarded both the overall and intermediate High Point Rider titles. “I think as a team we have been finishing the season with strong riding and great team spirit,” Honour said. The Lyons will return to the Mount Holyoke Equestrian Center on Saturday, March 7 to host the final show of the regular season.
“I’m excited ... to see my team finish the season really strong,” Honour said. “We have a lot of riders close to qualifying for regionals which is very exciting. It’s unbelievable that the season is almost over, but we are ready to take on regionals and zones for sure.”