Two women in riding attire and helmets standing with their horses inside an indoor equestrian arena, smiling at each other.
Group of young female equestrians in blue jackets and riding helmets, posing with a chestnut horse inside an indoor riding arena. One rider is on the horse, leaning over to smile at the camera. The environment is well-lit, with the logo of UBC Thunde

UBC Thunderbirds Equestrian Sport Club

Proudly Hosted By Riverside Equestrian Centre

2025-2026 Season Highlights

UBC Wins the Zone 8 Region 4 Team Championship

  • UBC is the first Canadian team ever to win a Regional Championship

  • UBC finishes 3rd in the Zone Championship at Stanford University

Individual Championships Winners

    • Regional Open High Point Rider / Champion Open Flat & Fences: Clare Carmichael
    • Regional Open Fences Reserve Champion: Anina Backmann-Choo
    • Regional Champion Intermediate Flat & Fences: Anna Trimble
    • Regional Champion Limit Flat & Fences: Raquel Edges
    • Zone 8 Open Fences Champion: Anina Backmann-Choo
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2026-2027 Tryouts

2026-2027 Tryouts

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Tryouts are intended to run like an intercollegiate show. Rider skills are evaluated on unfamiliar horses, with adjustments made for each level. A panel of experienced judges will give scores on equitation and horsemanship which aid the Coach’s decision in Team selection.

  • No. All tryouts are scored using the same criteria which is professionally evaluated. Alternative tryouts, whether group or private, are evaluated by at least 2 judges.

  • For the Open and Intermediate Jumping divisions, experience in equitation divisions at EC/USEF rated shows is a highly recommended qualification. However, the final placement is based on a rider’s skill.

  • Yes! All Intercollegiate competitions have an Introductory Level - for new riders to compete at the Walk and Trot. While a little riding experience is preferred, we welcome enthusiastic new riders ready to take on the sport!

  • No. Intercollegiate riding is entirely ‘catch-riding’. All competitors ride borrowed horses.

  • All riders need to come to tryouts with their own boots - these can be riding boots or blunstones, or any boot with a 1” heel. Riders may borrow a helmet for tryouts, but must purchase their own helmet if they are selected for the team.

Two young equestrians wearing riding helmets and riding jackets pose in front of a map of the United States, which is divided into color-coded zones. They are holding ribbons and pointing towards the northwestern corner of the map. The map marks the U.S. states and regions, with a sticker celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association.

UBC competes in the IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Show Association) league, predominantly in the USA. With a focus on making equestrian sport available to university students, IHSA competitions are entirely ‘catch riding’ - riders compete on borrowed horses with no warm-up time! There are 8 levels of competitors, from Walk-Trot beginners, all the way to Open Jumping.  

UBC is part of IHSA Zone 8 Region 4, along with Western Washington University, University of Washington, Central Washington University, Washington State University, University of Oregon, and Oregon State University.  

Two equestrians in riding attire, wearing black helmets, black jackets, and beige riding pants, holding award rosettes with ribbons, standing on a grassy field with a hedge and an IHSA sign in the background.
Group of seven women in blue jackets and white caps smiling, holding red and yellow award ribbons, standing outside a building with windows.

History of the Equestrian Team at UBC

In 2015, Nat Nahirney and Claire Anderson joined the UBC AMS Equestrian Club with a small group of competitive riders. Against the odds, they qualified for Zone 8 Finals at Stanford, and subsequently National Finals in Lexington, Kentucky.  

Inspired to create a formal riding team at UBC, they applied to the newly founded UBC Thunderbird Sport Club Program, a sub-varsity, student run sports organization.  

For the 2016-2017 season, we hosted tryouts for the first time, building a team of 20 riders! Bringing a full roster to competitions for the first time, we were thrilled to finish second place in the region as a team.  

In 2017, we found our home at Riverside. 

Now, almost 10 years from the start of formal intercollegiate riding at UBC, our incredible team took their first Regional Championship in 2026.

A Winning Record

    • Regional Open High Point Rider / Champion Open Flat & Fences: Clare Carmichael

    • Regional Champion Intermediate Flat & Fences: Justine Rapier

    • Regional Champion Limit Flat & Fences: Jamie Robinson

    • Zone 8 Open High Point Reserve Champion: Clare Carmichael

    • Regional Open High Point Rider / Champion Open Flat & Fences: Madison Weber

    • Regional Champion Intermediate Flat & Fences: Anina Backmann-Choo

    • Regional Limit Flat Champion: Danielle Porritt

    • Zone 8 Open High Point Champion: Madison Weber

  • **COVID Break** 

    2022-23 Season:

    • Regional Open High Point Rider / Regional Champion Open Flat / Regional Champion Open Fences: Madison Weber 

    • Regional Champion Intermediate Fences: Jasmine Taylor 

    • Regional Champion Intermediate Flat: Katie Donohoe

    • Regional Open High Point Rider: Claire Anderson 

    • Zone 8 Champion Open Flat: Natalie Nahirney 

    • Zone 8 Champion Open Fences: Claire Anderson 

    • National Open Flat: Natalie Nahirney 4th plac

    • Regional Open High Point Rider: Natalie Nahirney 

    • Zone 8 Champion Open Flat: Natalie Nahirney 

    • Zone 8 Reserve Champion Intermediate Fences: Claire Anderson 

    • National Open Flat: Natalie Nahirney 9th place  

    • National Intermediate Fences: Claire Anderson 7th place 

    • Regional Open High Point Rider: Natalie Nahirney 

    • National Reserve Champion Intermediate Flat: Claire Anderson 

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A young girl in riding attire with a black helmet, black jacket, white shirt, and gloves standing next to a brown horse inside a stable with blue stalls. The girl is holding the horse’s bridle. The stable has wooden beams and storage bags hanging on
Group of seven young women in equestrian attire, wearing blue jackets, riding helmets, and riding boots, standing outside in front of a building with window and green shutters. Two women are holding blue ribbons.
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A young female equestrian riding a chestnut horse over an indoor jumping obstacle, wearing a black helmet and riding attire, with a blurred indoor riding arena in the background
Six women dressed in equestrian attire, holding a banner that reads 'UBC Thunderbirds Sport Clubs,' with ribbons and rosettes attached, standing outdoors in front of a building with windows and shutters.
Two women wearing riding helmets and riding boots, smiling and holding a blue banner with 'UBC Thunderbirds Sport Clubs' on it, outdoors near a building and a fence in a rural area.
A young rider in a riding helmet and formal riding attire jumping a red and white obstacle on a brown horse inside an indoor equestrian arena. There are flower decorations at the base of the jump and a logo in the bottom right corner reading "UBC Thu
Group of women and girls in equestrian riding attire standing in a line, holding a sign with a horse graphic and the initials "UBC" in purple and yellow, indoors with a metal wall background.
Two women in riding attire holding ribbons in front of an IHSA Nationals backdrop.
A team of nine young women wearing riding helmets and blue jackets holding a banner that reads 'UBC Thunderbirds Sport Clubs' inside an indoor riding arena, with colorful ribbons hung on the banner.
Group of young women in blue jackets holding a large UBC Thunderbirds Sport Clubs banner with colorful rosettes ribbon awards hanging in front of them, inside a large indoor sports facility.