Kellie Howie on "Frasier"

Erskine Equestrian Team Member Wins Scholarship

Erskine senior Kellie Howie of Charlotte, N.C., a member of the Erskine Equestrian Team since her sophomore year, has been awarded a Miller's Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Scholarship, according to Equestrian Team coach Harriet Brawley Morton. The scholarship is based on riding and academic achievements.

Other members of the team this year include Heather Ghent, Erin Hicks, Kate Clark, Heather Greer and Noelle Garvin.

The Erskine College Equestrian Club is a member of the IHSA and participates in all the regular member Zone Five Region Two competitions. There are 10 competitions, or horse shows, throughout the school year. There are 14 schools in this region, including the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia, Morton said, and Erskine is currently in 6th place in the Hunter Seat division.

"Shows take place at a host school, and the host school also provides the horses," Morton said. "Each rider draws a horse's name before the competition begins and must ride that horse without prior practice. Even though performance is based on the rider's form, it is often the 'luck of the draw' that wins."

There are a total of 11 classes ranging from beginner level to advanced. A rider competes with other riders on the same level. Each class has six placings and each place is worth a certain number of points, from seven points for first place to one point for sixth place. "In order to move up a level, a rider must accumulate 35 points," Morton said. "As there are usually 10-14 riders in every class, this is not always easy to attain."

At the end of the season, Regionals, Zones and Nationals are held. A rider must have 35 points to participate in Regionals. A rider must place in the top three at Regionals to participate at Zones, and must place in the top two at Zones to be eligible for the IHSA Nationals.

Both Kellie Howie and Heather Ghent participated at Regionals, held at Berry College. "This year, both these team members qualified for IHSA Zone Five Finals," Morton said. The competition will be held in Gainesville, Fla., this Saturday, April 7.

"If these two riders qualify at Zones, they will be eligible to compete in the 2001 Nationals, which will be held in Atlanta at the Georgia International Horse Park," said Morton.

"The IHSA is a very competitive organization, but it provides a way for students to learn how to ride or to continue riding and showing without having to own a horse," Morton said. "There are about 250 colleges nationwide with approximately 5,000 riders competing."

Click here to learn more about the Erskine Equestrian Team