Five Mississippi College Equestrian Riders Qualify for March 7 Regionals

MC equestrian team rider Sela McClelland of Batavia, Illinois

One of the South’s most talented squads, Mississippi College’s equestrian team will send five riders to regional competition in Georgia.

“We are very excited for all our riders who are qualifying and look forward to the regionals,” says Tina Davey, MC’s equestrian program director and head coach.

The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association regionals will be held at the University of Georgia on March 7. Riders taking first or second-place honors in the Peach State that Saturday will qualify for zone competition at the Savannah College of Art & Design on March 28. The top equestrian student-athletes seek invitations to the IHSA nationals in Springfield, Massachusetts April 30-May 3.

MC is among the leading teams in a tough division in the South that includes schools like Berry College, the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama. MC is among 370 schools in the USA and Canada competing in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association.

The Mississippi College students gearing up for the regionals are: juniors Winston Franklin of Brandon and Erica Reynolds of Dallas, Texas, seniors Katherine Moody of Jackson and Hailey Elder of Tomball, Texas and sophomore Sela McClelland of Batavia, Illinois. Franklin is a Northwest Rankin High graduate.

An exercise science major who hopes to become an athletic trainer, McClelland is pumped about earning a trip to the regionals. The 20-year-old cherishes being part of the MC equestrian team that’s looking strong in its 8^th season.

“My favorite part of being on the team is seeing how we’ve all come together,” Sela says. “I’ve also loved to see the way we continue to incorporate the Gospel in our rides.”

Team members and coaches at Mississippi College often stress their sport’s connection to God.

What’s being emphasized, McClelland said, is “that we should feel the Lord’s pleasure when we ride and that each time we enter the ring, we have the opportunity to display the Gospel to those around us.”

The MC riders are among more than 8,300 collegians competing in the IHSA. The program at the Baptist-affiliated university is based at 2,000-acre Providence Hill Farm, a 15-minute drive from the Clinton campus. The MC team competes in one more show at Berry College near Rome, Georgia on February 28 to tune up for the regionals.

For additional information on MC’s equestrian team, go to www.mcequestrianteam.com