BUTLER TWP — The Butler equestrian program is 3-for-3.

In each year of its existence, the team has sent a rider to the Interscholastic Equestrian Association National Finals.

Carissa Chilcott was the team representative the first two years, advancing in hunt seat in 2009 and as a western rider last year.

This year's representative is junior Olivia Eagal, who finished first in Junior Varsity Beginner Horsemanship at the IEA Zone 2 Finals recently at Alfred University.

“It's so difficult to get somebody all the way through,” Butler coach Lauren Prisuta said. “The competition is so fierce, especially when you get into zone.”

Zone 2 consists of teams from Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. The top two finishers in each class advance to nationals, slated Thursday through Saturday in Upper Marlboro, Md.

“I'm happy that Olivia got through,” Chilcott said. “She's been showing good improvement all year.”

Eagal is in her first year of equestrian competition. She owns a horse and has been a trail rider growing up.

Equestrian is a whole different world.

“Showing horses is something I've never done,” Eagal said. “I've had to change everything in the way I ride.

“I always slump down when I trail-ride. With this, you need good posture, your legs need to be lined up properly, everything has to be exact.”

While at the zone competition, Eagal paid no attention to how the other riders were doing.

“That's why I can't say what the competition is like, because I just don't know,” she said. “I concentrate on doing the best I can and that's it.

“We were riding against girls from boarding schools who get out and ride horses four days a week. We practice maybe once a week.”

Most of Butler's equestrian team members take lessons on their own and many are from families who own horses.

“This is a time-consuming sport,” Prisuta said. “Our girls go to Gibsonia to practice western. They'll put in five to 10 hours a week, if not more.”

Butler had six team members during its first year. That number grew to 14 last year and 18 this season.

The IEA has been growing in general. Formally established in 2002, the association offered only Hunt Seat riding in 2005 and had 617 rider members representing 43 teams across 12 states.

By the end of last year, the IEA had more than 200 teams amd 3,000 rider members across the country.

None of the riders supply their own horses or saddles at the competitions. The host team arranges for them.

“It's pretty hard,” seventh-grader Madeline McEachin said. “You don't get on to the horse until right before you go out into your Class.

“You almost have to figure out the horse while it's being judged, what his tendencies are and how he likes to work.”

Chilcott said riding a different horse each competition is the toughest element of equestrian riding.

“Each horse is different just like each human is different,” she said. “You have to know how to adjust.”

McEachin placed fourth in Future Beginning Horsemanship at the Zone 2 Finals, narrowly missing a berth at nationals.

Also coming close were hunt seat riders Chilcott and Sarah Stovar. Chilcott also placed third in Varsity Intermediate Horsemanship.

There were 671 rides between the hunt seat and western competitions at the Zone 2 meet.

Stovar's family owns three horses. Shannon Stovar, Sarah's sister, is an eighth-grader on the Butler team.

“There were 30 in Sarah's actual class and only the first two get to go (to nationals),” Sheila Stovar, her mother, said. “Carissa and Sarah finished near the top. They just missed placing.”

The top six hunt seat riders placed at the zone meet.

Prisuta said there are 1,000 hunt seat riders in the three-state zone. There are 2,500 riders in the zone overall.

“Just being one of the 30 to be in that Zone final is quite an achievement, she said.

Chilcott placed fifth in points in Zone 2 this year.

In her class at nationals, Eagal will be competing in one of two heats of 12 riders. From there, 12 of the riders will be selected to compete in the judging.

“My only goal is to do my best,” Eagal said.

That's already proven to be good enough.