The FHC rough riders maintained their number two overall position behind Gull Lake at the Barry County Fairgrounds district meet, and etched in their spot as reserve champion. More importantly, they qualified for a spot in Regionals on October 17th. Head Coach Stacie Berendshode summarized her team’s regular season as “great” and expounded the team’s riders as “an outstanding collection of top-level riders that carried on the winning culture of FHC Equestrian.” As she has done every meet, junior Claire Richardson commanded the competition with her raw talent and expertise. “Claire [Richardson] maintained her “highest scorer” status for our team and received an award for being one of the top ten scoring riders in our district,” Berendshode said. Even though Claire stretched out her legacy as a top-level rough rider, senior Alaina Briggs closed out her own winning legacy when she rode her horse for the last time in a regular season meet. In the end, Alaina placed ninth for the whole district in her class on a bittersweet senior night. 

Out of all the impressive performances on the stallion squad, Meghan Bonney— the sole freshman on the roster— monumentally compiled her first points on the board for FHC. To go even further, Meghan placed in two competitive classes that featured a total of 17 experienced riders.

Coach Berendshode and her team are on the docket to compete at Berrien Springs next Saturday against the top-tier equestrian teams of Michigan. If all goes well, the collection of riders will solidify a state tournament appearance for the ages.