USHJA Announces 2026 IHSA Team Challenge Winners

Mill Spring, N.C.—May 5, 2026—More than 120 Hunt Seat and Western IHSA Collegiate members representing 19 colleges put their horsemanship knowledge to the test this year to complete the 30-day IHSA Team Challenge. Ribbons through tenth place were awarded at the 2026 IHSA National Championship, which took place at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina, from May 1 to 3. IHSA Team Challenge logo_2-1

Congratulations to the winners of the Challenge:

1. Savannah College of Art and Design

2. Purdue University 

3. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 

4. Albion College 

5. Centenary University

6. Alfred University

7. Stanford University

8. Skidmore College

9. University of Wisconsin–Madison 

10. Marist University

10. Virginia Tech

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The IHSA Team Challenge is a free program developed in partnership with the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association to engage teams and encourage horsemanship. Open to both Hunt Seat and Western members, the Challenge invited students to complete the online USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Practice Quiz between April 1 and May 1.

Participants could take the quiz as many times as they’d like to improve their scores. In addition, participants could earn bonus points when they took the official Horsemanship Quiz Challenge quizzes. Participants who took the Level One and Level Two HQC quizzes received 10 bonus points for each level they completed with a passing score. Those bonus points were then added to their Practice Quiz score.

"We've actually been studying together since February, since we also did the ANRC National Championships, and this year we hit the books," remarked Ella Hallman-Luhn, a member of the winning team and the 2025 USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals winner. "We had success at the ANRC National Championships and just carried that momentum through IHSA Nationals."

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To be eligible for awards, at least three students per IHSA team had to have participated. At the end of the 30-day challenge, the three top scores for each team were averaged to provide an overall score, and the highest-scoring IHSA team was awarded a Pivo Pod camera tracking system.

Students who continue with the official Horsemanship Quiz Challenge may have the opportunity to qualify for the in-person Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals or the virtual Adult Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals, presented by East West Equine Sports Medicine. Individuals who score 90% or higher on the Level Two Quiz will be eligible for selection. Registration is free to USHJA members and open through September 1.

"Last year was really fun, and everyone was excited to join in this year and contribute their scores," Hallman-Luhn continued. "We learned a lot of different things and started asking more questions around the barn this year. Since I did the [USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals] as an individual, I've been studying all year and learning so much. It's great to know more about the horses that we ride and take care of all the time."

For more information about the IHSA Team Challenge, visit ushja.org/IHSAchallenge. For more information about the USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge, visit ushja.org/HQC.

Photos: EQ Media and Tricia Booker/USHJA