Foxcroft’s Huckabay wins equestrian title

Saturday, May. 25 | By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

By Cathrine Wolf
Special to the Times-Democrat

Foxcroft School student Caroline Huckabay missed an entire year of riding because of a broken arm, a major frustration for the rising equestrian star.

But she's feeling better now.

Huckabay recently earned national championship honors in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association National Finals held in Syracuse, N.Y.

Huckabay was champion on the flat and earned reserve honors over fences in the varsity intermediate level. She was one of just two competitors to qualify for both divisions at the varsity level.

Modeled on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, IEA intended for high school equestrians and is the largest scholastic riding program in the country, with more than 5,000 student-riders on hundreds of teams in 12 zones across North America.

The hunt-seat competition format tests technical skills and correctness of position, with riders mounted on unfamiliar horses provided for shows by hosting clubs.

Foxcroft has competed in the IEA for three years, but the Middleburg prep school has sent riders to the national finals each year.

“Caroline rode thoughtfully, purposefully, and with elegance the entire weekend,” said team coach Kate Worsham. “I could not have asked for anything more from her. She has matured tremendously as a rider and performs with a quiet determination and focus which is truly admirable."

Huckabay broke her arm in a spill from a horse in the fall of 2011, but required surgery and an extended recovery period of nearly a year because the bone wasn't healing correctly.

She returned to the saddle last fall, in addition to returning to play on the school's basketball team.

In February, Huckabay was named first-team All-Delaney Athletic Conference in basketball and earned team MVP honors, the same week that she won the IEA regional finals titles.

In March, she traveled to Chatham, Va., for the zone 3 finals to earn her trip to nationals in New York.

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