Added on October 17, 2016 Sara Swanson

Manchester Equestrians Fail to Make the Cut at Regional Competition

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Bailey Elliott and Patty. Photo courtesy of Donna Clark.

Submitted by Donna Clark
Coach, Manchester High School Equestrian Team

The Manchester High School Equestrian Team competed against 7 other Division “B” high school teams at the Region E state semifinal meet on October 1st and 2nd in Mason. All these teams were Champions or Reserve Champions in their respective districts. The teams from Oxford and Mason finished first and second to earn berths to the State Finals in Midland, October 15th and 16th. This ended the season for Manchester and the five other teams in Division B.

Camping sites under water, mud-filled arenas, lightning delays, flooded horse stalls, intermittent downpours – what a weekend! Regional Championships at the Ingham County Fairgrounds in Mason certainly had its share of challenges. After weeks of hard work, the Manchester High School Equestrian Team had to come to terms with the end of a terrific season. Team members fought hard to make final cuts in classes, but fell short, eliminating their opportunity to move on to the state competition.

“Now it’s time to reflect on our winning season and savor the personal progress each team member has experienced. We were District 10 Champions and each of our riders has improved his/her skills, each has enjoyed the support and input from experienced professionals and coaches, and each member of the 2016 team has shown dedication and determination to do their best,” said Coach Clark.

“A special ‘thank you’ goes out to all our supporters – parents, grandparents, siblings, other family members, and friends. A special thanks to our senior riders, who were determined to make this their best year. And a message to the rest of the team – keep working hard, because we’ll be back.”