🏆 IEA NATIONALS! — TES IS HEADED TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN ST. LOUIS🏆

LET’S GO TES. 🐎🔥🏆

The Traditional Equitation School’s IEA Dressage Team traveled north last weekend to compete at the IEA Zone Finals in Vancouver, Washington, and the results were outstanding.

Before we even get to the rides, a special congratulations goes to TES IEA Team Coach Karina Lyons, who leads the program with exceptional dedication and expertise. Karina is not only an outstanding coach, she is also a United States Dressage Federation judge, and her knowledge and mentorship continue to elevate the level of riding throughout the entire team. The success our riders are achieving is a direct reflection of the careful preparation, training, and encouragement she provides all season long.

This year’s Zone Finals brought together riders from California, Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Not every state fields a dressage team, but the competition is always deep, talented, and extremely close.



Five TES riders competed as individuals across several divisions, representing Southern California with determination, sportsmanship, and some truly impressive rides.

Day One – Saturday: A Cold Start and a Tight Class

Saturday morning started very cold in the indoor arena—so cold that riders from the Southern California teams were shivering with numb fingers and toes. Handwarmers and hot drinks became essential equipment!

Both days began with one of the most exciting traditions of IEA competition: the live horse draw. Riders reached into a sparkly cowboy hat to randomly draw the horse they would ride for their class—no warm-up rides, no familiar horses. Just skill, adaptability, and a little bit of luck.

TES rider Edyn was the second rider of the entire show in the Varsity Intermediate Individual Test class. She drew Gigi, a lovely bay Thoroughbred mare. In the chilly arena, Edyn delivered a relaxed, harmonious ride that impressed the judges.

The class was unbelievably close. All seven riders scored between 58% and 60.8%, with the top five riders separated by less than one point. When the results were posted, Edyn earned a fantastic 4th place finish.

Saturday evening the TES riders and families celebrated together with a team dinner at a beautiful riverfront restaurant in Vancouver, sharing stories from the day and preparing for the final competition on Sunday.

Day Two – Sunday: Big Results

Sunday brought more exciting rides—and one very big moment.

Verona competed in the Futures Novice Individual Test riding a fantastic Mustang mare named Lil Miss. Verona rode a confident, composed test and finished 2nd place, which means…



She qualified for IEA Nationals in St. Louis, Missouri at the end of April!

Verona has been working consistently on both her riding skills and her mental attitude, and that dedication is clearly paying off. She is beginning to build real momentum and strong show experience.

A Strong Showing from the Adult Riders

TES also brought two riders from its new adult program, and they made a huge impression.

Esther and Chris both qualified for the Adult Division Test and Dressage Seat Equitation classes.



In an impressive display of ambition, both riders chose the more difficult Intermediate Test, while the other adult competitors selected the easier Novice test.

The results were outstanding:

• Esther – 1st place in the Test class

• Chris – 3rd place in the Test class

• Chris – 3rd place in Dressage Seat Equitation

• Esther – 5th place in Dressage Seat Equitation

A few unlucky canter breaks cost Esther some points in the equitation class, but both riders rode beautifully. Competitors and officials at the show were thrilled to see adult riders participating at Zone Finals, even though the adult division currently only goes to the Regional level and does not yet have a Nationals championship.

Wrapping Up the Show

The final class of the entire competition belonged to TES rider Charlotte, who rode Nemo in the Beginner Walk/Trot Dressage Seat Equitation division.



Charlotte looked fantastic. It is amazing to see her progress—just six months ago she had never ridden in a dressage saddle and had never posted the trot. Now she is confidently competing at Zone Finals and showing tremendous improvement.

A Huge Thank You to Our Team

None of this happens without a tremendous support system behind the riders.

A huge thank you to all of the TES parents and families who supported the riders throughout the season and made the trip to Zone Finals possible. Youth sports only work because of the commitment of families, and we are incredibly grateful for the support our riders receive.

A big thank you as well to Assistant Coach Phoebe Brown, who works closely with the riders and helps prepare them for competition.

And of course, Team Manager Andrea Call, who keeps everything organized behind the scenes—from entries to logistics to making sure everyone is exactly where they need to be. Teams simply cannot function without someone managing the details, and Andrea does an incredible job.

What a Weekend

Three full days in Vancouver brought no rain, beautiful views of the Pacific Northwest, and even a little sunshine, though the mornings remained brisk.

Most importantly, the riders represented TES with tremendous sportsmanship, determination, and teamwork.

And the headline says it all:

TES IS GOING TO NATIONALS!

Congratulations to Verona on qualifying for the IEA Dressage National Championships in St. Louis this April, and congratulations to all of our riders for an incredible weekend at Zone Finals.

The future of the TES Dressage Team is looking very bright.