Otterbein University’s equine teams are known as strong national competitors, for good reason. Both teams once again wrapped up their respective seasons with strong finishes.

Otterbein Dressage Team Wins Third Consecutive National Title

After a riveting day of team competition and impressive performances from riders across the board, the Otterbein University Dressage Team was named the 2023 Diller Equine IDA National Champion — the third consecutive national title for the team, which also took home the title in 2019 and 2022. (Competition was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.)

Concluding on April 23 at the Virginia Horse Center, the National Championships saw 26 schools from around the nation compete in individual and team competitions, with 12 schools competing to be the IDA National Champion. 

Riders Valerie Golden, Jenna McPeek, Emma Young, Aubrey Dickens, and coach Jennifer Roth earned Otterbein $10,000 worth of hay feeders from Diller Equine and went home with Collegiate saddles from Weatherbeeta Group, custom jackets from Sew You Custom Gifts, and a coach’s shadbelly from Kerrits. 

Otterbein’s riders performed well at the individual level, as well. Two of the Dressage Team’s riders, Riley Leibeck and Valerie Golden, were National Champions in respective levels. Here are the full individual results: 

• Riley Leibeck: Upper Training Level in Equitation, 1^st place 
• Valerie Golden: First Level Individual, 1^st place 
• Kalin Macqueen: First Level Individual, 7^th place 
• Jenna Mcpeek: Upper Training Individual, 6^th place 
• Elliana Linn: Lower Training Individual, 3^rd place 
• Taoni Hickey: Lower Training Individual, 8^th place 
• Hannah Mohler: Intro Individual, 6^th place 

Congratulations to Otterbein’s outstanding Dressage Team!

Otterbein Hunt Seat Team Sends Largest Group to Nationals

The Hunt Seat Team finished their season 10^th out of 16 competing schools at the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) National Championship on May 7, 2023. IHSA has over 400 members schools and boasts a student membership of over 10,000.

The Hunt Seat Team won its zone and regional championships in order to qualify for nationals. This year, the team took its largest contingent to nationals yet.

Here are the full team results:

• Team Open Equitation Over Fences: Lizzie Orosz, 6th place
• Team Open Equitation on the Flat: Lizzie Orosz
• Team Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: Rylee Lent, 10th place 
• Team Limit Equitation Over Fences: Riley Seilstad, 6th place 
• Team Intermediate Equitation on the Flat: Chloe Thatcher, 4th place 
• Team Limit Equitation on the Flat: Emma Herbruck 
• Team Novice Equitation on the Flat: Maddy Gaber
• Team Introductory Equitation on the Flat: Marissa Skaggs, 8th place 
   

Here are the full individual results:

• Lizzie Orosz: Individual Open Equitation Over Fences, 3^rd place 
• Jules Richter: Individual Novice Equitation on the Flat, 6^th place 
• Maire Hollertz: Individual Limit Equitation over Fences, 10^th place
• Chloe Thatcher: Individual Limit Equitation on the Flat, honorable mention