As a team, Dartmouth finished fifth out of 12 schools in its region in the regular season's final standings. Several riders have a good chance of performing well during the postseason, according to tri-captain Cristina Herren '12.
"We had a lot of individual success, even though we weren't at the top of the schools we were competing against," Herren said.
Seven of the team's 14 riders Herren, Tserenbaljir Baatartogtokh '12, Abigail Franklin '13, Anne Peale '11, Sarah Spangenberg '11, Janna Wandzilak '14 and Faye Keegan '12 qualified for Regionals, which take place on Sunday at Dartmouth.
The riders will compete against team members from other schools in the 11-team Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone 1's Region 2, which includes Bates College, Bowdoin College and Middlebury College.
Herren expressed confidence in her teammates' ability to succeed at Regionals and advance to the Zone Finals, which will be held at Mt. Holyoke College on April 9. She added that in addition to its riding skills, the Big Green will have the home field advantage, a major asset in equestrian competitions.
Tri-captain Kelly Tropin '13 also emphasized the importance of being familiar with the horses at a competition.
"It can really go up and down because you randomly draw the horses you show," she said.
If the Dartmouth riders succeed at Regionals, the Zone Finals will be the last hurtle standing in their path to the National Championships.
Herren said she has full confidence in her teammates' abilities to place on Sunday.
"There are definitely some riders who have the potential to make it to Nationals," she said.
In addition to those competing at Regionals, three of Dartmouth's team members who performed in the Open Jumping Division Keegan, Herren and Tropin will advance to the Cacchione Challenge Cup. The Open Jumping Division is the highest division in equestrian athletics, giving the region's top-10 open riders the chance to compete against each other.
The road to the postseason was not an easy one, however, primarily due to unfavorable weather conditions throughout the regular season.
"This year was more inconsistent than last year," Herren said. "[It] was really cold, so we couldn't really practice before the spring shows."
Despite the team's youth and inexperience, the squad pulled through to gain its postseason opportunities.
"It's been a lot of learning," Herren said. "The underclassmen have really stepped it up."
Tri-captain Helena Witte '13 agreed with Herren, noting that the strong bonds between team members have greatly contributed to the team's success.
"It was really exciting for us to have new riders on the team," she said. "We have plenty of team events that we do together besides shows."
Witte added that one of the team's most notable events this season took place at a show with UVM, where Herren and Keegan both placed in the top 10 of their division.
Members of the Big Green equestrian team will compete at the Dartmouth Classic on April 23.
