The Georgia Tech Equestrian Team is the competitive branch within the Georgia Tech Equestrian Club. The GT Team competes with 11 other schools in the southeastern Zone 5, Region 3 of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). Any level of rider active in the club is encouraged to participate in all of our shows this year. Depending on your level, you may be placed anywhere from a walk-trot to an advanced jumping class. Here's the best part: all competitions are FREE of charge!!! If you have any questions on how the IHSA works, be sure to check out our general information posted below.

The competing arm of the Equestrian Team participates in shows conducted by IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Show Association). Teams are arranged into zones and further divided into regions for competition purposes. The IHSA classes are set up from beginning to advanced, with classes in hunter equitation, equitation over fences, western horsemanship, and reining.

Teams do not move horses to a show; rather, the sponsoring team provides horses, already tacked. The rider draws the horse with the tack already on it, with no schooling/warm-up period.

For more information, the IHSA home page is located at www.ihsainc.com

Each individual can gain points through the value of a ribbon. Thirty-five points are required to qualify for Regionals. First place is seven points, second place is five, third is four, four is three, fifth is two, and sixth is one.

For teams, one rider in each division is selected to count for their college. These scores are totaled to determine a Champion Team each show. The scores accumulate through the year, and the team with the highest points at the Regional Meet is deemed the Regional Championship Team. Regional Champions advance to the Zone Championships, and the top teams from Zones advance to Nationals.

All riders other than Alumni MUST be full-time undergraduate students. In general, that means carrying 12 credit hours, but it specifically is determined by your school's Registrar's Office.

All riders must be "in good standing!" That means by whatever standards Georgia Tech uses to determine that an individual is in good standing (it usually refers to some minimum G.P.A. as well as meeting other legal criteria ... such as having paid all moneys owed and not being a wanted ax-murderer ;-)

Riders have a possible total of 8 semesters of eligibility over 5 years time total. Riders who began their IHSA careers in 1994 or earlier are no longer eligible even if they have not either graduated or ridden during 8 different semesters. Riders who began in Spring 1996 can ride this Fall but not after that.

The number of years specified in the rule book and on the forms are CALENDAR YEARS, not some unspecified number of "outings" on horse back. For example, if a person rode once a year for 5 years then they have ridden for 5 years. For potential Walk/Trot and Beginner Western riders this means that if they rode a horse of any kind prior to Fall 1998 they are NOT eligible W/T or Beginner.

Riders in classes 1 and 11 (Walk/Trot and Beginner) are eligible for 4 successive semesters only - 2 calendar years (or until they reach 35 points, whichever comes first). If a rider skips a semester of competing, that person's clock still runs out at the end of the 4th semester after their first outing.

Riders in classes 2A and 12A (Beginner Walk/Trot/Canter and Intermediate I) are eligible for 2 successive semesters only - 1 calendar year (or until they reach 18 points ... whichever happens first)