USHJA Announces Inaugural IHSA Team Challenge Winners
Mill Spring, N.C.—May 7, 2025—More than 195 Hunt Seat and Western IHSA Collegiate members representing 36 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 2025 IHSA National Championship, which took place at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina, from May 2 to 4.
Congratulations to the inaugural winners of the Challenge:
1. Savannah College of Art and Design
2. University of Southern California
3. Pennsylvania State University
4. University of Michigan
5. Virginia Tech
6. University of Delaware
7. Emory & Henry University
8. University of Georgia
9. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
10. Sweet Briar College
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.
"Our coach had sent us an email about the Challenge, and we found it interesting. Many of us are in the Equestrian Studies program too, so we thought it could be fun," said Tianna Polizzi, a member of the winning team. "[One of our teammates], Khi, made a study guide, and Ella has competed for our team at ANRC National Championships, which was helpful because she was used to testing."
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 USHJA prize package.
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. 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.
"We definitely plan to do it again next year," Polizzi remarked. "[My advice would be to] do the Challenge with friends and have a good time. We won't be able to do this forever, so just enjoy it."
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: Maddy Falkowitz and Tricia Booker/USHJA
