Dressage Senior Waiting for Slot at Nationals

Laurinburg, NC – With six riders in contention for three slots, St. Andrews University Senior Claire Pollard (Foxfire Village, NC) will have to wait another couple of weeks for other regions to end their season to see if her average percentage score of 73.243% for the year will be enough to take her to the Intercollegiate Dressage Association, National Championships hosted by Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio April 24 – 26.

Pollard ended the year as Reserve Champion in the Upper Training division with a second place at Saturday’s home show and a score of 75%. “When I first came to St. Andrews as a freshman, I wanted to try dressage because it fascinated me. I watched my senior teammates make it to Nationals and I told myself I would do the same before I graduated,” said Pollard. “I went from knowing next to nothing about dressage as an Intro rider to Reserve Champion for the region as an Upper Training rider.”

Coach Jackie Dwelle is hopeful Pollard will be making the trip to Ohio. “73.253% would be a “C” academically but in dressage that is considered a pretty good score,” quipped Dwelle who also teaches in the Equine Studies Department.

The St. Andrews team was Reserve Champion at the home show on Saturday earning 13 points and a team average score of 73.6%. Freshmen Alex Varisco was 6^th at First level with 64.063%. Junior Megan Pustarfi was 4^th in Upper Training with 73.077%, Sophomore McCall DiMarco was 5^th with 71.923%. Freshman Geneva Masak earned second place in the Lower Training division with a score of 76.739%, Sophomore Kate Neidrick and Senior Sarah Lishen were 3^rd and 4^th with scores of 71.563% and 69.063% in the Intro division.

In the Dressage Seat Equitation Regional Finals Courtney Anderson placed 3^rd at Training Level and Sarah Lishen was the Champion at the Intro Level.

“This has been a difficult year for the dressage team,” said Dwelle, “We struggled all year. We not only ran a wonderful show on Saturday with the first Dressage Seat Equitation Regional Finals and our first Regional Banquet but we also placed well. Keeping fingers and toes crossed that Claire will advance to Nationals!”

Claire Pollard