Caitlin Garcia competing at IHSA semifinals for Equestrian team in Findlay, Ohio March 15-17.
The spring semester for the Laramie County Community College Equestrian team ended with the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association semifinals in Findlay, Ohio.
Sophomore Caitlin Garcia and coach Lanae McDonald traveled to Ohio to compete in IHSA semifinals, representing LCCC.
In order to make it to show at that level, a rider must earn points while showing all season and placing in those shows.
Caitlin Garcia and Lanae McDonald stand in the photo place with Garcia’s award for semifinals in Findlay, Ohio March 15-17.
The difference between normal shows throughout the season and semifinals is how many people are showing. At other shows during the season, each team shows against only a couple surrounding states and colleges.
For LCCC, those teams were from Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and of course, the University of Wyoming.
In IHSA semifinals, there are three regions across the nation that host the semi-finals for different colleges. The three states for the 2018-19 year were Utah, Ohio and Florida. Each division from seasonal shows are brought into the semifinals.
There are 16 individuals that qualify for semifinals in a division and from those 16 riders, eight riders are pulled back to the final class. The top four from the class of eight go on to nationals, which is in New York this year.
Garcia made the final Novice class and placed eighth out of the sixteen riders who traveled to Ohio.