NILES — This Saturday, the Lucky Horse IEA Equestrian team will send six individuals to the Interscholastic Equestrian Association’s regionals in Shipshewana, Indiana.

In the team’s three years of competing, this is the highest number of individuals they have had qualify, said head coach Laura Tuthill.

Tuthill started the team for middle and high school girls, who hail from all over Michiana but come together to compete in hunt seat competitions. The IEA is a national organization for middle and high school students modeled after the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, which hosts at colleges and universities around the U.S. IEA’s model differs from other horse shows because riders participate on horses provided by the host barn.

“The girls are getting on a completely unfamiliar horse and riding that horse for the first time,” explained Tuthill on how the shows work.

When riders arrive at a show, they are given time to practice with the horse before judging.

“They don’t have a whole lot of time to get to know their horse or form that bond, so all of their training comes into play where they have to figure out that horse in a matter of seconds to then competing on the course they are jumping,” Tuthill said. “I give these girls so much credit. It takes a lot of training to be able to exceed at this type of competition.”

Scores are based on the rider’s application and horsemanship rather than the actual capabilities of the horse.

Lucky Horse IEA Equestrian Team also allows the riders to participate as a team in what is traditionally an individual event. The group is organized every summer in July, which is usually when team practices commence. However, the girls ride year-round, Tuthill said. Competitions begin in the fall, and the team competes in five shows, earning points along the way.

To qualify for regionals, individuals must earn 18 points.

On her team of nine competitors, Tuthill was proud to have six qualify: Paige Zellers, who also is the team captain, Aubrey Harper, Caroline Pracht, Marin Chester, Lauren Lopez and Michelle Preuss. Aubrey Marsh, Jada Carey and Nicolina Shah also are members of the Lucky Horse Equestrian Team.

Team member Pracht, of Granger, who has been riding horses for about eight years, will attend her first regional competition this Saturday.

“I like the people that you get to meet and the horses that you get to meet, especially,” she said. “When you love animals, it’s a great way to connect to them, and it is also therapeutic, especially when school is hard or stressful.”

Harper, of Granger, who has been riding horses for 11 years, became obsessed with horses at the Potawatomi Zoo when she rode a horse named Penny. She has qualified for one other regional competition before this year.

“My biggest thing is to support the horse,” she said.

Harper has competed in California, Georgia, and even in Japan, as her family moved around a lot growing up before eventually returning to Granger after her father’s retirement from the military.

“I just love everybody on the team, and I just love the sport,” she said.

A big focus of Lucky Horse Equestrian is horsemanship and sportsmanship, according to Tuthill.

“The one thing I love about our team is our girls are really supportive of each other,” Tuthill said. “They are always there cheering each other on and showing up. That is special because some of these girls compete against each other at the same level. It’s really neat when they are still there cheering on their teammates.”

Overall, Tuthill’s favorite part is seeing how hard the team works and how much each member cares about the sport.

“When all the stars align for those few minutes that they are out there competing and the look on their face when they know they’ve done well, it makes me really happy,” she said.