Whitney Mahloch accepts her third place award at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Show in Lexington, Kentucky.
Woods junior Whitney Mahloch loped, jogged and galloped her way to claim third place in the advanced western horsemanship division at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) National Show in Lexington, Ky., on May 8, 2011.
“Her team spirit, perseverance and drive to succeed makes her undoubtedly successful in the show pen and a true asset to this team,” said Larissa “Charlynn” Turner ’08, head coach of the western equestrian team at SMWC. Turner said Mahloch, an equine business management major from Plymouth, Wis., has held her head high through all of the ups and downs of riding and views every experiences as an opportunity for improvement.
Western Horsemanship, according to the website Horse Channel, judges the riders’ ability to maneuver through a series of patterns, which increase in difficulty as a rider’s class increases. Mahloch competed on a challenging course against riders from hundreds of other colleges and universities, clinching the top third spot in the nation.
“Whitney’s pattern proved to be quite difficult as she shows in the second highest riding level in IHSA,” Turner said. “The pattern consisted of straight lines, lead changes, variation in speed, large and small lope circles, extended jog and a pivot.”
Mahloch’s national win is not surprising, as she has secured one of the top three spots in more than 15 different hunt and western competitions in less than a year of riding for the SMWC teams. For more information about the College’s equestrian teams, please visit https://smwcpomeroys.com/sports/equest/index.