Aiken, S.C.—May 3— Kendal Fansler, Claire McMillan, Emma Whitaker, and Olive Dumais have been riding together for more than two years through their membership in the Iron Bridge Hounds Pony Club. Together, the teenagers have tackled Pony Club rallies, the intimidating Pony Club tradition of Quiz, and more. But this weekend, they’re tackling one of their biggest obstacles yet—the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championship.
Despite it being their first time at the IEL Championship, this group of Maryland natives is leading the competition by 14 points, making them well set up to win the title at the end of the weekend. “We’re very excited, very proud of one another,” Fansler said. “We didn’t expect [to be in first place], but we hoped we would be.”
Fansler and Whitaker are done riding for the weekend and are now switching to support mode. Aboard a relatively new ride, Hedgerow Farm’s Dassett Evermore, Fansler finished the weekend on her dressage score of 28.3 to hold third place in the Open Training B division. Whitaker also had two double clear rounds in the Training Rider division aboard Hedgerow Farm’s HSH Golden Boy to finish on her dressage score of 30.2…