NEW YORK STATE — The Diehl Me In Interscholastic Equine Association (IEA) Hunt Seat & Western teams both had busy and successful seasons this year. 

This is the first year that Diehl Me In 4-H Club has had a Western IEA team. Local athletes in grades four through 12 competed under the coaching of Megan Diehl Blumenthal of Diehl Me In Performance Horses, located in Callicoon.

The English Hunt Seat middle and high school teams did very well this season. Middle school riders Emily Olsen and Riley Eggleton, both of Sullivan West Central School, qualified for the regional show at Gardnertown Farms, which took place on February 25. Both girls placed in the top two and advanced to the Zone 2 finals. Those took place at Gardnertown Farms on March 26.

Emily Olsen finished in sixth place in her division, and both girls had a great experience.

The Western middle and high school teams also had a great first season. Riders Gretchen Petry, Haley Hahn and Sandra Hanofee competed at the Region 2 final show at Morrisville College on April 1. 

Sandra Hanofee, a 10th-grader at Liberty High School, and Haley Hahn, an eighth-grader from Sullivan West, have qualified for the Western IEA National show, which will be held in Forth Worth, TX at the end of June.

Sandra will be competing in JV Beginner Walk/Jog/Lope Horsemanship, and Haley will be competing in the Future Novice Horsemanship division. 

Our National Qualifiers are asking for donations and are also fundraising for the cost of the trip and competition. Please help support our athletes by buying from our fan cloth store, buying a raffle basket ticket or by making a donation. To donate, call Megan at 845/866-8183.