Home|Sports|Brogdon makes collegiate equestrian zone finalsSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailMay 2, 2023 140 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian collegiate equestrian rider Carisa Brogdon is fulfilling the early promise she showed as a freshman both in and out of the riding ring for equestrian sport.

Brogdon competes with the Roger Williams University (RWU) Hawks equestrian team in Zone 1, Region 1 of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). IHSA competitions take place under a horse-draw format, meaning that horses and riders are randomly matched. This format tests the horsemanship skills of the riders who must navigate jump courses and under saddle equitation tests on strange horses.

Under the guidance of Coach Nikki Speranzo, Brogdon’s performances throughout the show season, which included multiple first and second place finishes, helped her team earn a spot to Region 1 postseason competition. At the regionals, Brogdon placed third in the Limit Over Fences and second in the Limit Flat Divisions, becoming the only member of her team to advance to the IHSA Zone 1 Finals.

The Zone Finals took place at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Brogdon rode well enough to finish in the ribbons, earning a ninth place finish in the Limit Flat Class, but failed to advance to the national finals.

Now a junior, Brogdon is making her presence felt on the RWU campus. She has been named the captain of the varsity team, she is the president of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and holds a lead ambassador position in the university admissions office. Brogdon is pursuing a double major in marketing and business analytics with a minor in graphic design. She credits equestrian sport with helping her to maintain a balanced and disciplined approach to university life.