WATERBURY, Conn.. – The Post University Intercollegiate Equestrian Teams started their fall show season this month. The IHSA Hunt Seat team co-hosted the first show of the season with Sacred Heart University on October 5 and competed again at a show hosted by Sacred Heart University on October 12, both at Rolling M Ranch in Southbury, Conn. The IHSA Western team competed on October 13 at the first show of the semester hosted by Sacred Heart University, also at Rolling M Ranch.

The Hunt Seat team's first day of showing was a busy one. In the Open Fences division, Melissa Larkin, a freshman student from Washingtonville, NY earned a strong second place. In Intermediate Fences, Kaitlyn Bristol, a sophomore student from Oakville, Conn., took sixth place. In the same division, Erica Scally, junior from Amesbury, Mass. earned fourth place, and Sara Horwath, senior and Team Captain from Canton, Conn. took sixth place. These three riders also competed in the Intermediate Flat division where Bristol took fifth place, Scally earned sixth place, and Horwath scored a solid third place.

In the Novice Fences division, Katrina Matz, a freshman from Cheshire, Conn., took home a fourth place and Patricia Reda, a junior, earned fifth place.  Reda also rode in Novice Flat, earning a sixth place, and in the same division Natalie Johnson, a junior student from Springfield, Mass., took home third place. Three freshmen competed in Advanced Walk Trot Canter. Amanda Oborski from South Windsor, Conn. had a strong start to her intercollegiate showing career taking home first place in the division. Katie Johnstone of Middlebury, Conn. earned sixth, and Morgan Lavelle from Bethel, Conn. took third place. Finishing the day in Beginner Walk Trot Canter was freshman Arianna Delage from Wolcott, Conn. taking home a great second place.

The Hunt Seat team competed again on October 12. Larkin had strong rides in Open Fences and Novice Flat, taking second place in both. Bristol rode in Intermediate Fences, taking fifth, and in Intermediate Flat, taking sixth. In Intermediate Fences Johnson took third place and Horwath fifth. Riding in Intermediate Flat, Horwath took fourth and Matz fifth. Matz also had a solid ride in Novice Fences, taking home second place. Reda, riding in Novice flat, earned a fourth place. In Advanced Walk, Trot, Canter, Lavelle took home an outstanding first place, Johnstone took a strong second, and Oborski earned sixth. Delage rode in Beginner Walk Trot Canter earning a strong first place, while Courtney Ritchings, a sophomore from Sutton Mass., had her first ride of the season earning fourth place in Walk, Trot. Team Captain Sara Horwath said, "I am incredibly proud of how well everyone has done so far this season and couldn't be happier to be a part of this team!"

The first Western Team show was on October 13, hosted by Sacred Heart University at McAllister Farm in Southbury, Conn. Freshman student Carly Aravena of Bethel, Conn. competed in the Advanced Horsemanship Level to take fifth place.