The three top-two riders qualified for the Zones competition next week. All competitors who finished in the top two of their class qualified for the Zone Finals, which will be hosted by Mt. Holyoke College on April 9.
Spangenberg finished first in both Flat and Fences. Herren placed second in intermediate Flat and Baatartogtokh finished second in Walk.
Seven of the team's 14 riders Herren, Baatartogtokh, Spangenberg, Abigail Franklin '13, Anne Peale '11, Janna Wandzilak '14 and Faye Keegan '12 qualified for and competed at the competition. The riders competed against team members from other schools in the 11-team Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone 1's Region 2, which includes the University of Vermont, the University of New Hampshire and Colby-Sawyer College.
Three of Dartmouth's team members who perform in the Open Jumping Division Keegan, Herren and co-captain Kelly Tropin '13 also advanced to the Cacchione Challenge Cup event at Regionals.
Herren placed fifth at the event and Keegan placed sixth. 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.
"Our show today went well and everyone should be happy with how they rode," Herren said. "A large portion of success in horseback riding is making intelligent decisions quickly and all our riders were well prepared for this show."
Before equestrian events, riders must draw horses randomly in order to ensure a fair playing field. Although some Dartmouth riders did not draw familiar horses, they generally handled the horses well in the competition, Baatartogtokh said.
Despite her qualifying performance, Baatartogtokh said she was disappointed with her performance leading up to the competition. Baatartogtokh said she "rode sub par" at the Vermont Show on March 19.
Although the team's riders placed inconsistently during much of the season, they have worked diligently while preparing for postseason events, Herren said.
Individuals who finish in the top two at Zones will qualify for the IHSA National Championship Show.
"Riders going to Regionals and Zones ride twice per day to get into shape and prepare for special tests that can be asked during the post-season classes," Herren said. "And I hope that at Zones this hard work pays off and that Dartmouth can send someone to Nationals."
Baatartogtokh said the Big Green's training was evident in recent competitions.
"We had one of the highest number of riders qualifying for Regionals and have some incredibly strong new and old riders," she said. "Some people were only points away from qualifying, and the quality of our riders shone through during Regionals for those who had qualified." Riders said the Big Green is sometimes disadvantaged by Dartmouth's quarter system.
"Because Dartmouth is on the quarter system and our spring term started only a week ago, our riders have not had as much time as other schools to get into shape for spring shows," Herren said. "As in any other sport, it takes time to rebuild muscle and find a rhythm to your sport."
Besides Zones and Nationals, Dartmouth's next team meet is the All Ivy Show, which Cornell University will host on April 16. The Big Green won the competition last season.
"I'm super excited and am really hoping to do well," Baatartogtokh said. "I'll be practicing extra rigorously this week."
Herren said the All Ivy Show will provide a chance for the Big Green to face teams outside of its region that it does not normally compete against.
