Equestrian Teams at Florida
Colleges and Universities
Florida's Universities Love Horses
Florida is home to ten university equestrian teams. Not only do two football teams embrace horses as an integral part of their mascots for football games, eight others field impressive dressage, jumper and western teams. All of these teams compete in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association or Intercollegiate Dressage Association IDA.
College equestrian horse shows are different than any other horse show in that the riders do not use their own horses, but ride the horses housed at whatever school is playing host to the show. This saves the time and expense transporting horses around the show circuit and challenges the riders to perform on a different horse each week. Experienced show riders will understand the skill level this requires.
All teams are members of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association IHSA that includes over 270 private and public universities encompassing 23 regions and 8 zones.
The IHSA provides collegiate riders of all skills the opportunity to compete individually and as teams in equestrian competition. It was founded on the principle that any college student should be able to participate in horse shows regardless of his or her riding ability or financial status.
Florida schools compete in Zone 5, Region 3 of the IHSA which includes College of Central Florida, College of Charleston S.C., Florida State University, Georgia Southern University, Mercer University, Savannah College of Art & Design, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of Miami (FL), University of South Florida and Wesleyan College, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Rollins College, and Florida International University.
Florida State University's At all home games, Chief Osceola's charge onto the field of battle aboard a spirited Paint aptly named Renegade ignites the Doak Campbell Stadium crowd. One of the most famous logos in college football, the FSU Seminole introduces every home game by planting a flaming spear in the turf while Renegade shows his rearing skills.
Univesity of Central Florida's fearsome Knight gallops into the stadium aboard lipizzaner stallion Pegasus. Taking a page from the 'Noles, the Knight slams his oversized sword into the stadium grass to the cheers of UCF fans.
The University of Florida even while embracing the jumping challenged Gator as its mascot, fields a Univiersity of Florida Equestrian Club team that competes with other southeastern universities in dressage, hunt seat and western. UF is home to Florida's only veterinary school, the University of Florida College of Vetinary Medicine.
Florida Atlantic University's newly established team (2010) features a hunter/jumper team and a western pleasure team. Plans are in the works to add dressage to the equestrian schedule.
Florida International University invites riders and non riders alike and fields hunt seat, dressage and western teams.
Florida Gulf Coast University Equestrian Club was established in April of 2010. We are part of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and compete in events held in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Our club members have an interest in horses, riding, and equestrian competition. We welcome any level of riding experience, or none at all, so if you are interested please contact us!
Rollins College Equestrian Club
University of South Florida Equestrian Club supports a hunt seat and a western team with both competing in the IHSA.
University of Miami Equestrian Team was founded in 1997 and competes in IHSA events.
College of Central Florida offers an equine studies program and fields a dressage team, that competes in the Intercollegiate Dressage Association IDA. CofCF also fields hunt seat and western teams that compete in IHSA.
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