The victorious Woodpecker Farm riders at the International Equestrian Association competition. (Contributed photos)
Woodpecker Farm located on Paige Road in Woodford has been in business for over 40 years. Lessons, camp, boarding and showing were the farm’s focus until they developed a high school and middle school riding team three years ago.
Woodpecker Farm’s Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) team coach, Beth Linton, and her high school team captured the Zone 3 Championship March 28 and 29. Linton is also the trainer at Woodpecker Farm in Caroline County.
IEA is a national organization for student equestrians in grades 6-12, established in 2002 with the national finals event the following year in Willoughby, Ohio.
The IEA now has over 8,000 members in 32 states across North America. The mission is to introduce students in private and public middle and secondary schools to equestrian sports and to promote and improve the quality of equestrian competition and instruction.
Points are tracked for individual rider accomplishments and for overall team accomplishments. Individuals and teams earn points to qualify for regional, zone and national finals.
Teams take turns hosting horse shows throughout the season. Students ride horses that are furnished by the host barn and chosen by random draw, which equalizes competition variables and tests the horsemanship of the contestants.
The IEA is split into 10 zones. Zone 3 (Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia) has 80 teams. Each zone is then split into regions. Zone 3 has seven regions. Woodpecker Farm is part of Region 4, which includes 11 teams stretching from Prince William to Caroline County.
Regional finals were held March 7 at Hazelwild Farm in Spotsylvania. Woodpecker Farm’s high school team was champion, with Rose Mount Farm from Fredericksburg reserve champion. As for the middle school teams, Woodpecker Farm’s team came in third place. Century Manor Farm, Nokesville, was champion and Hazelwild Farm, Spotsylvania, was reserve champion.
The top two teams and the top two individuals from each class at regionals moved on to zone finals. Zone 3 finals were held at Garrison Forrest School in Owings Mills, Md., March 28 and 29. The top three individuals and top three teams from this competition moved on to nationals.
Woodpecker Farm started off zones with a bang. Bobbie Jo Adsit won the very first class, varsity open individual over fences. Woodpecker Farm’s Olivia Kolenda won the varsity intermediate team over fences.
Woodpecker’s team ended the day on Saturday in first place. On Sunday, Sarah Weisman, Alicia Herzog and Caitlyn Pessalano competed in their classes to help the team along to a three-way tie for third place. It came down to the last two classes. Lily Peterson did a beautiful job riding a lovely warm-blood in varsity intermediate on the flat, winning her class.
Linton knew they had the advantage when the riders were asked to drop their stirrups. Woodpecker’s team rider Bobbie Jo Adsit rides English, western and has horses of her own. Her hunch was right and sure enough, Bobbie Jo won the class. They were going to nationals.
Linton said every member of the team, whether she rode at the final competitions or not, contributed. “It is because of all of them that we won Zone 3 Finals. It was all their points through the year that qualified the team.
“The kids and parents on my team are the best. Each year we have a fabulous fundraiser, A Night Under the Stars at Woodpecker Farm, with a silent auction and great sponsors that helped offset the expenses. Everyone gets along and is supportive of one another.
“Being a coach for a team is far different than being a trainer of individual riders. I have achieved my goal of getting the team to nationals. It was the hardest decision I had to make to decide who would ride for the team.
“This has been the best experience of my career. We’ve had a great season, and there is still more to come.”
Nationals were held at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in Wellington, Fla., April 24-26. Team riders were: high school, Bobby Jo Adsit, Michelle Smith (team captain), Olivia Oliver, Lily Peterson, Kelley Cutler, Olivia Kolenda, Sara Wiesman, Alicia Herzog. Kaitlyn Pessalano and Olivia Price; middle school, Jadye Greenwood, Sarah Stanley, Ella Peterson, Racheal Upshur, Grace Hamilton, Sydney Tate and Isabel Baggette.
Facing much stiffer competition at the Nationals, several Woodpecker farm riders managed to break through, Linton said. Bobbie Jo Adsit, of Hanover, won open varsity champion, which means she finished ahead of 11,000 riders across the Country. And Olivia Kolenda of Caroline won the art contest for the cover of the National Championship program.
For more information, go to www.woodpeckerfarm.com