All Three Delaware Valley University Equestrian Teams Qualify for Nationals

The three teams, including 17 individual riders, will represent DelVal Equestrian on the biggest stage for the opportunity to be named National Champion.

Doylestown, PA (04/15/2025) — Delaware Valley University is proud to announce that all three of its equestrian competition teams - Dressage, Hunt Seat and Western - successfully qualified for their respective national championship events, with teams and individual riders set to compete for top honors in the nation.

The dressage team is sending five individual student-athletes to nationals in four different events:

Carley Sweigart - Team, First Level
Abigail Hinkle - Team, Upper Training
Paige Gatz - Team and Individual, Lower Training
Kaye Feddo - Team and Individual, Introductory
Rebekah Meadows - Individual Introductory

The Hunt Seat Team will be represented by eight individual student-athletes across 11 different events:

Evan Holt - Team Open Fences, Team Open Flat, USHJA Hunter Seat High Point Rider
Kerrin Long - Team Intermediate Fences
Grace Allen - Team Intermediate Flat, Individual Limit Flat
Brooke Wolfinger - Individual Intermediate Flat
Liam Swimelar - Team Limit Fences
Maggie Mitchell - Team Limit Flat
Elsa Heacock - Team Novice Flat
Madison Heitman - Team Introductory

The Western Team will feature five student-athletes competing in nine events:

Brooke Wolfinger - Individual Open Reining, Team Open Reining, Team Open Horsemanship, Back on Track High Point Rider
Alicia Smoot - Team Level 1 Horsemanship and Team Ranch Riding
Alice Kaufman - Team Level 1 Horsemanship
Lauren Gordner - Team Rookie Horsemanship
Kara Bishop - Team Beginner Horsemanship

To advance to the National finals, the Hunt Seat team dominated the field in zone 3, region 4 of the IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association). They won the region by 145 points and were the lone team from the region to advance to the IHSA Zone 3 Championships. At Zones, the coaches selected a rider to represent the team in each class. The top two teams at the end of Zones qualify for Nationals. DelVal's Hunt Seat team battled adversity and came together. Each and every person played a big role in the overall performance.

"We would not have been able to get here without the efforts of the entire team throughout the season," said Dr. Cory Kieschnick, chair of the Department of Equine Science and Management and Director of Equestrian Sports. "At Zones, our first-year riders had three very strong finishes, helping us secure the nationals-qualifying Zone 3 Reserve Champion title."

The Aggies finished as Reserve Champion to punch their ticket to nationals, which takes place May 2-4 at the Tryon International Show Complex in Tryon, Nc.

The Western team also competes under the IHSA, and riders qualify individually for regionals in the same way as Hunt Seat. The Aggies were the regional high point team and advanced straight to one of the three semifinals events in the country. At semifinals, the top four individuals advance to Nationals, and the top three teams advance for the team competition. DelVal finished as Reserve Champion to earn their spot as a team.

DelVal's Dressage Team competes in the International Dressage Association (IDA). In order to qualify for Nationals, a team must finish in the top-two for the regular season. The Aggies clinched their spot with a strong end to their season, with three consecutive wins at their last three shows. The IDA National Championships are April 24-26 at the National Equestrian Center in St. Louis, Mo.

To learn more about DelVal's equestrian programs visit delval.edu/equine, and for updates on the team's progress at Nationals, visit athletics.delval.edu.

About Delaware Valley University

Delaware Valley University is a private, comprehensive, nonprofit university educating students with a curriculum that emphasizes and requires experiential learning. Located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles north of Philadelphia, the University offers 27 undergraduate majors in business, arts and sciences, and agricultural and environmental sciences; 12 master's degrees; and a doctorate in education. Founded in 1896, DelVal has been cited by the National Society for Experiential Education as having the country's top experiential learning program, by Princeton Review as one of the best colleges in the Northeast, and by College Factual as having one of the top 20 animal science programs in the country.