# IHSA Hunt Seat



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

I was wondering if anyone here knows about competing on an IHSA team in college? What do you do when you tryout? What are the different classes/levels?
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## countercanter (May 18, 2011)

I just finished my 4 years of IHSA riding for Kentucky. All schools are going to be different about the try out process. For example, my school never had to do actual try outs, we had more "placement try outs" so the coach could see you ride and figure out which division to put you in after evaluating your riding/ rider evaluation forms. Last year and this year however they had to have actual try outs because too many people were interested in the team. 

IHSA divisions are as follows: 
Beginner Walk/Trot
Advanced Walk/Trot
Beginner Walk/Trot/Canter
Advanced Walk/Trot/Canter
Novice Flat
Novice Fences (2'3'' - 2'9'')
Intermediate Flat
Intermediate Fences (2'6'' - 3')
Open Flat
Open Fences (2'9'' - 3'3'')

Your school is categorized into regions (which you will compete within for the season), and zones (you will compete with the top school in each region at Zones before going to nationals, which the top 2 teams in each zone go to nationals) It is all equitation based. The host school provides the horses, tack, etc, and you randomly draw a horse to ride (in our region, we use a bingo ball system but other regions do it differently). You do not get a warm up or any practice. You get to get on and adjust your stirrups and that is it. 

Every placing (1st - 6th) is awarded a point value (7 points for first, 5 points for second, 4 points for third, etc.). You ride for individual points and your coach will pick a point rider for ever division to have their points count towards the team for the day (this is how your school earns points). When you point out of your division (36 points, except the open, then it is 28 points because your points start over every year) you qualify for Regionals. A first or second at Regionals qualifies you for Zones, and a first or second at Zones gets you to Nationals. 

There is so much to say about IHSA. Personally, I loved it and I think it has improved my riding drastically. Lots of big time international riders did IHSA in their college years, like Beezie Madden (Cachione Cup winner too). Here is the website:
About Us


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## Ink (Sep 25, 2009)

Our divisions were Beginner (walk/trot), Intermediate, Novice, Advanced, and Open/Reining. But my school only did stock seat. 

What you do for tryouts really depends on your coach. Ours did a brief evaluation where we had to walk, trot and canter asking for the right lead then the wrong lead.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

countercanter-Thank you so much! This really helped me. However, I do have one question-what's the difference between the walk-trot-canter classes and the flat classes?
Based on those divisions, where do you think I would fit in? I've been riding and around horses for 10+ years, have been riding hunt seat for 3 1/2 years. I took hunt seat lessons for about 1 1/2-2 years, quit, took them with someone else, and I'm going to be getting back into it soon but I haven't had a lesson since this past spring. (I got a new horse last October and I wanted to get going with him before I took lessons on him.) I've shown 9 times (small shows). Can w/t/c well, have jumped no more than about a foot and a half.


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## countercanter (May 18, 2011)

In the WT and WTC divisions you don't jump. They are divisions, if you are in Novice, you will be in Novice until you point out. And you can point out of the flat and not the jumping, they don't go hand in hand. For example, I started off Intermediate, and in my second year, I pointed out of Intermediate flat in to the Open flat, but I still jumped Intermediate. Where you are placed has a lot to do with your show record (at rated shows) and with where your coach thinks you will work best. A lot of people go into it wanting to be in the highest division possible, but end up screwing themselves because they get stuck there and can't progress. It is going to be different with every school and every coach. From what you are telling me and my IHSA experience, a coach would probably want to place you in the Advanced WT division, not because they think you can't ride well, but because you would be solid and reliable in that division and would be able to secure points for the team easily. Then you would have an opportunity to really move up in the levels and qualify for regionals/zones/nationals throughout your 4 years with the IHSA.


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## countercanter (May 18, 2011)

I just noticed you are from Kentucky (at least that is what it says under your picture). Are you thinking about one of the KY schools to ride with?


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Yes, Murray State.
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

So the only divisions you don't jump in are the w t c ones?
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## countercanter (May 18, 2011)

Correct, Walk Trot and Walk Trot Canter do not have jumping classes attached to them. And that is cool, I know a couple people that go to Murray. I don't know much about their team however.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Murray State has some schooling shows throughout the year and I've been to one and I'm going to another in November. They also host our area's FFA horsemanship contest; this year will be my third time doing it. The coach is always there and she's seen me ride a couple times, and I'm going to try out for the team, so that may be a good thing. 
Who do you know here?


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## countercanter (May 18, 2011)

Just a few people I have met through showing.


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## Acco (Oct 4, 2011)

I also rode in IHSA

What division you get placed in depends on your previous riding and showing experience. The college I went to had a huge IHSA team, so unless you were a point rider, you didn't get to jump very often (since shows usually limit the number of jumping entries each school can have, we all had to take turns). 

Prior to college I didn't show at all (I didn't have a horse and my parents weren't willing to pay for me to show on a school horse), so that placed me in Advanced Walk Trot Canter. It's actually GOOD to be placed as low as you can go - if your coach is on the fence about putting you in WTC or Novice, for example, pick WTC! Then it's that much easier for you to be good  I breezed through WTC and wound up regional champion, then I breezed through Novice the next year too with all 1sts and 2nds, then by the time I was a senior I made it to Open. However, since our team was so huge I only got to jump twice a year so it took me all four years to point out of Novice fences.

Some colleges help fund the IHSA team, and others do not. Our team was considered a club sport by my college, so they did not give us any funding. We had to pay our entry fees, as well as fees for the coach, hotel, transportation, etc. It wasn't horrible, as we rented a big bus and put 4 girls to each room. It was SO much fun 

Based on your description, you'd be put in Walk Trot Canter - you could not be Walk Trot, because that was limited to people who had been riding for 2 years or less (unless they've changed the rules since I was in college)

My school competed against Murray State


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