The last week in April, Grier Girls went to IEA Nationals in St. Louis, Missouri. They endured a long drive and early mornings, but continued to have high spirits.
There is both a middle school and high school division within IEA (Interscholastic Equestrian Association). Riders who made it to Nationals, whether hunt seat, dressage, or western, are within the top 6% of IEA riders. This show is the most competitive and stressful show for most riders. “I think that our team right now is very good about being very energetic,” Ella Daffron ‘27 said when asked about how the team kept high spirits throughout the week. “It kind of just came naturally.”
The team had a schedule for the week in which the two groups left in staggered timing each day. The first group would leave earlier in the morning, while the second group stayed in the lobby of the hotel, working on homework with Mrs. Frazier, the Riding Academic Coordinator. They would leave closer to the afternoon. Middle school riders showed earlier in the week, while the upper school riders rode on the weekend.
St. Louis was a new destination for many of our IEA riders, since Nationals was held at Tryon International in Mill Spring, North Carolina in recent years. “We went to Tryon for the past few years,” Marian Pownall ‘25 said, “so it was interesting to be someplace new.”
IEA Nationals also had its second annual IEA Prom, sponsored by Grier School, at the Bear Creek Golf Club. All Grier riders were in attendance, and all youth members attending Nationals were invited to participate in this fun, albeit chilly, night.
Izzy Maroko, ’27, and Anleigh Ahlert, ’25, both represented Grier in Hunt Seat Nationals this year. This was a huge accomplishment for both riders since it required a 1st or 2nd place position at both Regionals and Zones earlier in the year.
Dressage similarly requires a 1st or 2nd place position at Zones to move onto Nationals, although it doesn’t have a regionals qualifier. Violet Gutberlet ‘29, who did not attend IEA Nationals last year, was proud of her accomplishment in achieving Nationals this year in dressage. “I really wanted to make it and just have good rides at Zones and good rides at Nationals,” Gutberlet said. When she wasn’t in the ring riding, Gutberlet was cheering on her teammates.
Not only are Grier’s individual riders extraordinary but so are its riding teams. Both Grier Dressage teams qualified first or second in Zones to make it to Nationals. The Middle School team won Nationals, while the Upper School team finished fifth. “I think that everybody really enjoyed themselves,” Ella Daffron ‘27 said, “and I think that we did a really good job.”
Grier certainly did a great job at Nationals, and represented our equestrian program well. Below is a list of the results.
Nationals Placing
Ava Bives – 7th F. Intermediate Test Ind., 4th F. Intermediate DSE Ind.
Claire Pratt. – 5th F. Novice Test Ind., Champion F. Novice Test Team
Samantha Wood – 4th F. Novice Test Ind., Champion F. Novice DSE Team
Violet Gutberlet – Reserve Champion F. Intermediate DSE Ind., 5th F. Intermediate Test Team, 4th F. Intermediate DSE Team
Ariana Froning – 8th F. Beginner Ind., 5th F. Beginner Team
Maria Escandon – 5th F. Beginner W/T
Izzy Maroko – 5th Intermediate Flat Ind
Anleigh Ahlert – 4th Open Flat Ind., 4th Open Test, Team, 6th Open DSE Team, 8th Open Test Ind., Reserve Champion Open DSE Ind
Marian Pownall – 4th Intermediate Test Team, Reserve Champion Intermediate Test Ind, 6th Intermediate DSE Ind.
Nina Rhoades – 3rd Novice Test Team, Champion Novice Test Individual
Isa Knobloch – 7th Intermediate DSE Team
Hazel Pratts – 3rd Novice DSE Team, Reserve Champion Novice DSE Ind.
Emily Guthrie – 7th Beginner DSE Team
Langston Eleby – 7th Intermediate DSE Ind
Lilah Hampton – 7th Novice DSE Ind.
Quinn Muspratt – Champion Beginner DSE Ind.
Juliet Harris – 4th Beginner W/T Ind.
Zoe Piekarski – 3rd Beginner W/T Ind.
