HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – The Delaware Valley Hunt Seat team competed at the highly competitive Zone 3 Finals this past weekend, with both individuals and teams vying for spots at the IHSA National Championship in May. Riders and teams needed to finish in the top two to qualify. The Aggies secured a berth in the team competition, one individual national qualifier, and a spot in the prestigious Cacchione Cup High Point Open Rider competition.
Competition began with the Cacchione Cup riders competing over fences. Senior Grace Allen represented DelVal and delivered a solid round before returning later in the day to compete on the flat. Allen then placed sixth in the Individual Open Fences class and followed with a fourth-place finish in Team Open Fences.
Freshman Tiara D'Amico competed next in Team Intermediate Over Fences, delivering a strong ride to earn first place. Sophomore Alicia Smoot followed with a second-place finish in Team Limit Fences. After the three over-fences classes, Centenary led the team standings with 18 points, followed closely by DelVal with 15. The University of Delaware and Penn State trailed with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Junior captain Sophia Frisbie competed in Individual Limit Fences and turned in a strong round. The judge asked Frisbie and a rider from Penn State to return to test over the same course on swapped horses. Despite a late error at the final fence, Frisbie finished third.
The next classes featured the Introductory division. Sophomore Madison Heitman competed individually for the Aggies. Heitman, who placed sixth nationally in the Team Introductory class last season, captured the Individual Introductory championship and qualified for Nationals once again. Freshman Keira Larkin followed with a first-place finish in Team Introductory, moving the Aggies to within one point of Centenary.
In the Individual Novice division, DelVal was represented by sophomores Alexandra Adams and Alicia Smoot after both qualified at Regionals. Both riders performed well but narrowly missed national qualification, with Smoot finishing third and Adams fourth. Sophomore Elsa Heacock competed in Team Novice and placed fourth. Following the class, team standings were Centenary with 30 points, DelVal with 25, Delaware with 22, and Penn State with 18.
Next was Individual Limit on the Flat, where DelVal again had both representatives in the class—sophomores Maggie Mitchell and Samantha Wills. After the initial rail work, the judge called back three riders for additional testing, including Mitchell. A late error kept the Aggies out of the top two, with Mitchell finishing third and Wills fifth. Freshman Amelia Parsons followed with a second-place finish in Team Limit on the Flat. Centenary extended its lead in the standings, but DelVal also increased its advantage over Delaware.
Mitchell returned to compete in Team Intermediate on the Flat and placed second behind Centenary. The result officially secured DelVal's qualification for the IHSA National Championship as one of the top two teams in the zone.
Senior Grace Allen closed out the day competing in three final classes. She first rode in the final phase of the Cacchione Cup and finished second overall, earning a spot in the prestigious national Cacchione Cup competition alongside riders from Centenary and the University of Delaware. Allen then placed fifth in Individual Open on the Flat and capped the day with a second-place finish in Team Open Flat.
Centenary finished as Zone 3 Champions with 51 points after winning six of the eight team classes. Delaware Valley claimed Reserve Champion honors with 40 points, finishing in the top two in six classes. The University of Delaware placed third with 32 points, followed by Penn State with 29.
Zone 3 also recognized top riders based on points accumulated throughout the season. Allen finished fourth overall in the zone, fourth on the flat, and fifth over fences. Frisbie was recognized as the third-highest point accumulator over fences in her division, while Adams finished sixth overall across the Introductory and Novice divisions.
Delaware Valley will now compete at the IHSA National Championship in May at the Tryon International Equestrian Center.
