Risley '26 Competes in IEA Nationals

Lainey Risley '26 competed in the Upper School Individual day after qualifying in March at Zone Finals with a first place win in Novice Fences and third place finish in Novice Flat. One of only 18 qualifiers in the entire country, Risley represented Chatham Hall well in both classes. She had a beautiful trip Over Fences, with the official commentators noting that her positioning and solid foundation make her "the future of the sport." Just one mistake kept her out of the ribbons. On the Flat, Risley rode beautifully in the qualifier, but a wrong lead kept her from the callbacks.

"Lainey earned a spot in the top 18 in the country in two classes, so we really couldn't be prouder," noted Director of Riding Ally Doyon. "I'm so excited for what is to come for both Lainey and the entire IEA team."

Additionally, Chatham Hall Riding was represented by two School-owned horses, King and Martha. They were used throughout the competition as one of 18 horses in each class helping their respective riders across divisions earn ribbons. Many riders noted how smooth and easy both King and Martha were to ride while expressing gratitude to the School for bringing them to the event. Each year, every winning Nationals rider is given a blue ribbon to take to their horse. King and Martha accumulated five of these blue ribbons throughout the four-day show, and qualified many more riders for the finale classes.

The Riding Program will be competing next at the Lexington Spring Encore on May 4-6 and then heading back to Tryon for the final "A" show of the year at the end of the month. Follow along on Instagram @chatham_hall_riding for updates!