With the best season since the equestrain team became a varsity sport in the fall of 2005, Albion had nine riders qualify for regionals this season.

“We have improved greatly this season, especially compared to last season,” said Jill Overacker, Nunica senior. “The team was extremely young last year, and we’ve really grown as riders and teammates this year.”

 To qualify for regionals, riders need to accumulate  a set amount of points over the course of the season. The regular equestrian season starts in October, and for riders qualifying for nationals, it will continue into April, the longest season of any Briton athletics.

“Our season is fall to spring,” said Emily Amidon, Portage sophomore. “This year we had competitions during winter and over spring break.”

According to Amidon, the team competes against 14 other schools including University of Michigan, Michigan State, Grand Valley, Adrian and Oakland University.

Albion took hold of the reigns quickly, winning their first show of the season at Western Michigan.

On Nov. 3 and 4, during the two-day show hosted by the University of Michigan, the Britons took first place in six events.

Albion’s hunt seat team finished as the reserve high point team by collecting 36 points on the final day.

“What sets this [hunt seat] apart from other varsity sports is that each rider is assigned a completely unfamiliar horse, you draw out of a hat, and you are allowed no warm up time whatsoever before competing over the jumping course or flat class,” said Alex Goss, Dexter junior. “This is a true test of the rider’s ability.”

Goss is one of the nine riders who qualified for regionals. The show was hosted on March 15 at University of Findlay. Christine Grahl, Coldwater first-year, placed first in the open flat competition, qualifying her for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association’s Zone show in April. Grahl is no stranger to competition.

“I have been riding since I was four years old and started competing in shows when I was five,” Grahl said. ”Over the past four years I have been showing mostly on the ‘A’ circuit at shows in Michigan, Illinois and Kentucky.”

Grahl and the eight other riders represented Albion in seven of the eight divisions at the regional show.

“The team is something that is a lot of fun and a lot of people doubt that it is a real sport, but it is,” said Katherine Ross, Grosse Pointe sophomore.  “We work hard to compete and do what we do.

Coached by Mia Zetting this season, the equestrian team finished third in the regional standings.  The  Britons collected  230 points.

“We practice in the extreme heat and cold year-round to be prepared for the season, and it paid off,” Gross said.