On March 14-15, the Otterbein equine team competed in the Tournament of Champions, hosted by the University of Findlay.
With the equine team continuing a long-standing tradition of success, Otterbein placed third out of 16 teams.
Following the Tournament of Champions, Otterbein competed at Regionals, which will be their first postseason show. To qualify for regionals, riders must have a minimum of 36 points throughout the season. Natalie Nawa, Corinne Hause, Fiona Barnett-Cross, Emma Linton, Rachel Wingard, Maya Samlan, Tia Thivener, and Karley Roof qualified to compete in their classes.
All qualified riders advanced to zones; the postseason show that follows regionals. To qualify for zones, riders must finish in first or second place in their event at regionals or be part of the team competition. Natalie Nawa, Corinne Hause, Maya Samlan, and Fiona Barnett-Cross all qualified with first-place finishes. Paige Bennett, Grace Laster, Emma Linton, and Hailey Mattice all qualified with second-place finishes.
Nawa said the Equine team has put in a lot of hard work and dedication throughout the season. “Qualifying for nationals, both individually and as a team, felt incredibly rewarding. It’s something we’ve been working toward all season, so seeing that hard work actually pay off was really special. Every practice, every show, and all the small improvements added up to this moment. It just makes it all feel worth it."
Last weekend, Otterbein won zones as a team and qualified for nationals. Natalie Nawa and Emma Linton also qualified individually with first place finishes in their classes.
The team will compete at nationals May 1-3 at Tryon International in North Carolina.
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