The UCSD Equestrian team competes in Zone 8 Region 2 of The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) along with USC, Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA,  Arizona State University, and other universities in Southern California and Arizona.  Over 400 universities and colleges participate in the IHSA with approximately 9,000  students across the USA and Canada compete in the eight levels of hunter seat riding walk trot to open fences.

   

      The IHSA was established in 1967 for the purpose of providing collegiate riders of all skills and backgrounds the opportunity to compete in team and individual competition without being a financial burden to individual competitors. Competition is set up so that the host school provides horses for all of the competitive events. competition. The competition is formated for catch-riding, which means the horses and riders are randomly paired through a drawing in order to test the true horsemanship ability of each rider. The IHSA is currently a recognized member of the American Quarter Horse Association and USA Equestrian (USAE).

 

     Throughout the year, English riders compete to accumulate points at local shows in order to qualify for the Regional Finals in their respective divisions. The top two riders in each division of the Regional Finals compete in the Zone Final, and the top two qualifiers from the Zone Finals compete in Nationals for the National Individual Championship. In addition, each region’s high point team in the Zone Finals competes for the National Championship. Team honors and the “Collegiate Cup” for the Hunter Seat Division.