Colorado School of Mines Equestrian Team president Allison Pelzel qualified for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Nationals Finals after competing in the Zone 8 Finals in early April at Stanford University.
Pelzel competed against teams from several schools such as Colorado College, United States Air Force Academy, University of Colorado and University of Wyoming.
For Nationals, Pelzel will have to compete against the top 16 riders in the country at each level. She will draw a horse's name out of a hat and will be judged on her position while riding that horse. Competing on a horse she’s never ridden before could be a challenge.
“It's also an amazing opportunity to get to know some very talented horses,” Pelzel said. “Every horse you get on is a new experience and it often helps you realize what you need to work on in your riding to be on a horse that responds differently to you than your own horse.”
Riding keeps Pelzel on track with engineering physics schoolwork at Mines. She constantly reminds herself that homework comes before riding.
“Riding is also a way of relaxing and releasing stress for me,” Pelzel said. “When I have a particularly hard week of classes and exams, I get through it by taking a break to go to the barn and working with the horses.”
Pelzel will be competing at Nationals May 1-4 in Harrisburg, Pa. The IHSA includes 410 teams and more than 9,000 riders from universities and colleges across the nation.
Contact:
Kathleen Morton, Communications Coordinator / 303-273-3088 / KMorton@mines.edu
Karen Gilbert, Director of Public Relations / 303-273-3541 / KGilbert@mines.edu
