May 12, 2017
Centenary University Places as IHSA Reserve Champion, Comes in at Second Place for the 2017 American National Riding Commission Championship & 4th Place for the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Championship
Hackettstown, N.J., May 12, 2017 – For the fourth time in eight years, a Centenary University student won the coveted USEF/Cacchione Cup, which is sponsored by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), as the event’s most outstanding rider at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) championship. Katherine “Katie” Steiner, who has been an avid rider since the age of 8, took home the title. This year’s championship was held at the Lexington Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. The Centenary team also placed 2nd overall making them a Reserve Champion. These are a couple of several significant “wins” in the past several weeks as Centenary has also recently been named the 2017 American National Riding Commission (ANRC) Reserve Champion and came in at 4th place for the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) Championship.
In addition to the many prizes she received with the Cup, Steiner, a native of Pleasanton, Calif., was provided with a grant from the United States Equestrian Federation to secure additional training from a professional rider of her choice.
Previous winners of the Cacchione Cup include Beezie Patton Madden, Peter Wyle and Mark Weisbecker, who have gone on to the Olympics. Additional winners include Amanda Forte and Whitney Roper, who are highly regarded in the Grand Prix circuit, and Centenary’s own Cori Reich in 2013, Marissa Cohen in 2011, Lindsay Clark in 2009, and Kelly Ann Taylor in 1997.
This is the first time Steiner has competed in Nationals. She will be graduating from Centenary University this Saturday. Steiner has many aspirations after she graduates, including international horse sales. She has already secured a position with trainer, Denize Borges at Crystal Image Farms, in Pleasanton, Calif., as an assistant trainer. She has worked with Borges during high school and is excited that she has a secured position right in her own hometown.
As she ends her academic career at Centenary, Steiner looks back at her decision to attend the Hackettstown, N.J.-based institution.
“I considered another institution in California, but I liked the fact that the professors here had substantive influence in the industry,” says Steiner. “The reputation in the program in general is stellar. I also liked the fact that I would receive individualized attention from my professors and that is so valuable from a development standpoint.”
The IHSA team consisted of 12 horses, ten riders, seven volunteers and two coaches. Centenary’s horse Signature won Reserve High Point Horse and Street Legal, aka Turkey won the Thoroughbred Incentive Program. Centenary student Cori Babcock also qualified for the Teresa L. McDonald IHSA Scholarship Challenge. ANRC national championship was hosted at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. Four Centenary riders and horses participated in this opportunity. The IDA Championship was hosted by Centenary University. Twenty-six institutions competed from around the country.
“This is such a wonderful victory for Katie and the Centenary University community, in general,” says Kelly Martin Munz, Professor of Equine Studies and Chair of the Equine Department. “Our students have taken home the Cacchione Cup four times in less than a decade. That is quite impressive. Add into the mix that we were named IHSA and ANRC Reserve Champion and secured 4th place for the IDA Championship. These are incredible accolades in such a short period of time. There are a lot of accomplishments to celebrate here at Centenary!”
Since 1984, Centenary has awarded associate of science and bachelor of science degrees in Equine Studies. It is the only four-year institution in New Jersey that grants such degrees, allowing students with a love of horses to transform their interests and talents into solid career opportunities.
Today, the University’s Equine Studies graduates are highly sought after by various industry professionals, including competitive riding coaches, trainers, instructors, breeders, therapeutic riding and dressage specialists, barn managers, veterinarians and communications specialists.
Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary University’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.
Centenary University’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County). The Centenary School of Professional Studies offers degree programs online and in two locations: Parsippany and Edison, and at corporate sites throughout New Jersey.
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