HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (Warren County) — Centenary University’s Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) team has quietly built a legacy in collegiate equestrian sports, claiming the Highpoint Hunt Seat Equestrian Championship for an unprecedented 35 consecutive years.
The milestone came into focus last month when equine historian Steve Maxwell contacted IHSA team coach Michael Dowling to share his research.
“Steve is very familiar with our team and our program,” said Dowling, who co-coaches with Heather Clark. “He reached out to share his research showing that we had won the championship for 35 consecutive years, and how very impressed he is with our team and our program. Steve knows his stuff—he attends zones and nationals almost every year—and his data is very accurate.”
The Highpoint Hunt Seat Championship is determined by the cumulative points earned by teams over a season of competitions—typically eight shows per year. In addition to the team points, individual riders can qualify for zones and nationals.
This year, Centenary was crowned Zone 3 champion. Rider Caroline Mancini also earned recognition as the USHJA/High-Point Hunter Seat Rider. The team placed third at the IHSA National Championships, held May 2–4 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina, behind Purdue University and Sacred Heart University.
“What makes this special is that Purdue and Sacred Heart are both DI schools with significant resources,” said Centenary University President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D. “Incredibly, small DIII Centenary beat national athletic powerhouses Stanford University and the University of Southern California (USC). This is a testament to the dedication of Centenary’s riders, coaches, and equestrian faculty. Their hard work has made Centenary one of the nation’s best competitive and academic equestrian programs in the nation.”
Centenary’s equestrian programming goes beyond IHSA competition. The university also fields a team through the International Dressage Association (IDA) and recently launched a National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) team, which competes under NCAA rules. The university’s Equine Studies Department offers degree, minor, and certificate programs, with hands-on training at the Centenary University Equestrian Center in Washington Township.
“At a larger university, students may have a riding lesson a couple times a week,” Dowling said. “But at Centenary, our students spend most of their downtime at the Equestrian Center helping to care for and rehab the horses. Here, they become comfortable riding unfamiliar horses—which they often must do in competition—so they’re very prepared.”
Clark said the deep bench of equine professionals among Centenary’s faculty sets the program apart.
“We’re all very invested in cultivating our students and helping them to reach their goals,” she said. “Professionally, we’re active members of the equine field. For instance, Michael and I both have our own training facilities, and our resident veterinarian, Jesslyn Bryk-Lucy, DVM, has her own practice. Other faculty are stewards and judges.”
Equine Studies Department Chair Kelly Munz emphasized that preparing students for careers is central to Centenary’s mission.
“Cultivating young professionals is really what Centenary is all about,” Munz said. “While we welcome successful junior riders, we’re just as interested in developing the talents and passions of riders of all abilities. When we traveled to nationals in May, we transported between 14 and 18 of our horses to the competition. It’s a major effort that provides amazing professional experience, not just for our competing riders, but also for those students who will be caring for and schooling the horses. This is very much a team effort.”
For more information about Centenary’s equestrian programs, visit www.centenaryuniversity.edu.
