EQUUS EQUUS

The late Teresa L. McDonald was the senior instructor for the Equitation Program at Virginia Tech since 1994 and served as coach for both the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Hunter Team and the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Team. She was passionate about making a differ ence in the lives of her students and coached riders to national titles on both teams. She was honored with inclusion in the Southwest Virginia Hunter Jumper Association Hall of Fame in 2004, the Intercollegiate Dressage Coach of the Year award in 2008, an d the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Before taking her faculty position at Virginia Tech, Teresa coached and taught at Radford University, Ferrum College, and TLC (Teresa Little Coaching).

The late Teresa L. McDonald was the senior instructor for the Equitation Program at Virginia Tech since 1994 and served as coach for both the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Hunter Team and the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Team. She was passionate about making a difference in the lives of her students and coached riders to national titles on both teams. She was honored with inclusion in the Southwest Virginia Hunter Jumper Association Hall of Fame in 2004, the Intercollegiate Dressage Coach of the Year award in 2008, and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Before taking her faculty position at Virginia Tech, Teresa coached and taught at Radford University, Ferrum College, and TLC (Teresa Little Coaching).

In 2019, IHSA undergraduate members were invited to take an online horsemanship test called the Teresa L. McDonald IHSA Scholarship Challenge . The two highest scorers from each Zone were invited to compete in a final practicum phase at the 2019 IHSA National Horse Show to determine National winners. First place is awarded a trophy and a $1,500 scholarship, second place receives a $1,000 scholarship, third place receives a $750 scholarship, 4 th through 6th receives a $500 scholarship, and 7th through 10th receives a $250 scholarship. All IHSA members that completed the online test received a free digital subscription from a magazine of their choice, EQUUS, Horse and Rider, or Dressage Today, courtesy of the sponsor.

The Teresa L. McDonald IHSA Scholarship Challenge is a free online test covering non-discipline-specific, general horsemanship topics and is open to all IHSA undergraduate members. Students create six-member teams, the team can be within one school or within one region, and enter the team name when taking the online test.

2019 National Qualifiers

The 2022 National Qualifying Teams

Zone 1 Erin McCarthy-Keeler – Dartmouth College

Zone 2 Adelaide Buerkle –Siena College

Zone 3 Madison Heilveil – Pennsylvania State University

Eleanor Hollers – Amherst College

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, Boston, Massachusetts GOUCHER COLLEGE, Baltimore, Maryland

Zone 4 Sullivan Short – Averett University

Stephanie Busch –University of Rochester

Danielle Kulyk – Rutgers University

VIRGINIA TECH, Blacksburg, Virginia

Zone 5 Hannah Bentz – College of Charleston

Zone 6 Kiersten Pratt – Lake Erie College

Zone 7 Katherine Bartelt – University of Wisconsin Maddison

Zone 8 Madelyn Schramm – Colorado State University

Noel Muehlbauer – Averett University

Brianne Lenehan – Clemson University

Chloe Bellerive – University of Kentucky

Kathryn Pietka – Truman State University

Nicole Jablon – University of Arizona

IHSA Senior Athletic Academic Achievement Award Essay Winner 2022

LYRA SEABORN, Davidson College

Showing Up For Myself

20 22

One of the first lessons I learned when I started to ride was the importance of relaxation. ‘’Take a deep breath,” my trainer would repeat, reminding me that horses can sense our fear and trepidation. But staying calm was easier said than done. The majority of my adolescent competitions ended in disaster - despite my incessant mental notes to stay loose and keep my position neat and fluid, my body would betray me at the last instant, locking up into stiff, disobedient configurations that sent me careening behind the motion and into the sand. I cried as my mount galloped away and convinced myself that I was a failure.

This drive for perfectionism only intensified as the barn waned, replaced by ever more complex social landscapes, mental health struggles, and rigorous curricula. But the horse girl who used to canter over sticks at recess never fully died, and when I learned my new college had an equestrian team, I jumped at the chance to join. But just as I was finding my stride in the intercollegiate riding world, the COVID pandemic shut down the competition season. Sometimes I still think of what could have happened if I hadn’t lost that year- would I have finally placed out of my division? Would I have gotten to say a proper goodbye to my then-senior teammates before we parted ways forever? But going down the “what-if’ hole is like trying to kick without letting up on the reins - I’ve learned I can’t go forward if I’m always pulling myself back.

My time in IHSA has taught me how to accept disappointment and grow the resilience necessary to move on and continue to strive for improvement. More and more frequently, I’ve found myself channeling this adaptive attitude in my life beyond the barn and arena. When I sat down to talce the MCAT in January, I told myself what I always think before I enter the show ring: no expectations, just try your best. The same mantra is now seeing me through the completion of my senior thesis, the gap-year job search, and preparation for med school applications.

Most importantly, I’ve learned to have fun. As team meals, group boot-polishing sessions, and deep ringside conversations replaced the stress of show days, I realized that after I graduate I’ll be thinking back on a whole lot more than where I landed in the ribbons. The same goes for my time in undergrad (substituting rosettes for GPA and accolades), and I expect it will keep holding true as I enter med school and beyond. As nice as winning first place or qualifying for Regionals feels, such achievements would be paltry without my friends cheering me on.

My heart doesn’t drop anymore when I hear the loudspeaker blare, “Riders, you are now being judged at the walk.” Instead, I straighten my shoulders and smile for the judges and my teammates. I might not yet be truly as confident as I appear, but the less I dwell on my insecurities, the smaller they become. And so I repeat: Deep breaths, heels down, and eyes always ahead!