Equestrian Finishes Seventh at Walnut Hill Farm Show

By Emily Desmond

PLAINVILLE, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University had another fabulous day horse showing on Saturday at the Walnut Hill Farm Show hosted by Stonehill College.

The Bears finished seventh overall in the team standings.

Junior Abigail Abbott (Wareham, Mass.) started the day strong, riding Henry in open flat and placing fourth before moving on to open fences, where she had a lovely, composed round aboard Hanz.

Senior Emily Desmond (Braintree, Mass.) competed in open flat on Henry and earned first place, then continued her success in intermediate over fences with a well-executed third-place finish.

Senior Rianne Wyckstrom (Hudson, Mass.) rode Sebastian in intermediate over fences and placed fifth after a confident, controlled trip.

Sophomore Julia Max (Salem, N.H.) then rode in limit over fences aboard Tessa and played down a nice round to earn her sixth place then hoped on Cooper and placed fourth with a solid trip.

Sophomore Melanie Schick-Fernandez (Abington, Mass.) rode Susan in limit flat and secured fourth place with a steady, thoughtful ride.

Junior Alyson McKeon (Worcester, Mass.) delivered a standout performance on Vera, taking first place in limit flat with poise and precision.

Sophomore Becky Costa (Foxborough, Mass.) represented the Bears in novice and placed fourth aboard Uno after a strong showing in the class.

Freshman Katie Kavanagh (Duxbury, Mass.) had a beautiful ride in pre-novice on Vera and placed third.

Freshman Angelina Ferrara (Dartmouth, Mass.) made her IHSA debut, riding Cooper in pre-novice and finishing third with a confident first outing.

Junior Rahima Ali (New York, N.Y.) also made her IHSA debut in introductory, earning fourth place on Vera with a positive and composed ride.

The team will return to the ring tomorrow at Annabelle Meadow Farm for a show co-hosted by Boston university and Tufts university.