PLAINVILLE, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University senior Emily Desmond (Braintree, Mass.) and junior Abigail Abbott (Wareham, Mass.) both advanced to the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Zone 1 Championships as the duo placed first in their respective events on Saturday at the IHSA Zone 1 Region 4 Championships held at Walnut Hill Farm.
Desmond will be making her second appearance at the Zone 1 Championships as she also competed in 2024. Abbott qualified for the first time in her career.
The IHSA Zone 1 Championships will take place next Saturday (April 4) at the Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center.
Bridgewater State finished sixth overall out of ten teams at the Zone 1, Region 4 Championships as the Bears were extremely proud to have seven riders qualify and compete individually at regionals.
The Bears also had an amazing showing in the Cacchione Cup. Congratulations to Desmond and Abbott for earning ribbons - Emily finished seventh overall, while Abigail had an outstanding season finishing third overall. Emily was also honored with the Senior Captain's Award for Region 4, a well-deserved recognition of her leadership and dedication.
Desmond had an exceptional day, riding Lucky in Limit Over Fences to a stellar first round, getting called back for further testing on Chip, and ultimately taking home first place to earn spot at the Zone 1 Championships. She also competed in Open Flat on Iceman, earning an impressive third place.
Abbott rode beautifully in Open Flat aboard Hanz, earning first place and qualifying for Zones.
Senior Rianne Wyckstrom (Hudson, Mass.) kicked things off today with a lovely ride on Poppy in Intermediate Over Fences, finishing her season strong.
Sophomore Julia Max (Salem, N.H.) competed in Limit Over Fences on Poppy, putting in a great trip to earn 5th place. She returned in Limit Flat on Lucky, finishing with a solid seventh place.
Junior Alyson McKeon (Worcester, Mass.) had a strong ride in Limit Flat on Fenway, earning sixth place in a very competitive class.
Sophomore Melanie Schick-Fernandez (Abington, Mass.) rode Lunar to a strong first round, then was called back to test on Iceman, ultimately earning fourth place in a very competitive group.
Sophomore Becky Costa (Foxborough, Mass.) wrapped up the day for the Bears in the Novice division, riding Lucky to a fantastic seventh place finish.
We are so proud of all our riders for their hard work and dedication this season. But we're not done yet. BSU will be back next weekend as we head to Zones at Mount Holyoke on Saturday, April 4th with our two qualifiers.
