Fairfield, CT —  The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, will host the 37th annual IHSA National Championships, one of America’s oldest and largest collegiate equestrian competitions, bringing together approximately 400 students from 25 of the top hunter seat and western teams across American and parts of Canada. May 5-8 they will vie for titles including the prestigious Cacchione Cup and American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) High Point Western Rider awards. Among the teams competing will be Lexington’s own ‘hometown heroes,’ the University of Kentucky, under coach Michelle Zimmer.

The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) was launched in 1967 to offer every student the chance to represent their college or university on an equestrian team.

In addition to free admission to the IHSA Nationals (with paid entry into the Kentucky Horse Park), and a full program of classes starting daily at 9 a.m., there will be a Parade of Teams, IHSA EQUUS Scholar salute to the outstanding horse at the Nationals, salutes to Intercollegiate Equestrian Foundation scholarship winners, interesting and informative equestrian vendors, and numerous opportunities for families to pick up free information about colleges and universities that offer IHSA equestrian teams and equine programs.

The 2011 IHSA Nationals commemorates the 26th anniversary of the first IHSA Nationals visit to Kentucky (when the Kentucky Horse Park hosted the 1985 IHSA National Championships). Today, IHSA represents 380 schools and 8.800 college riders.

For more information and a schedule of events, visit http://www.ihsainc.com, or follow results daily on Facebook, and Twitter @IHSAinc.