Randolph-Macon’s own Elizabeth Bechtold takes first place at IHSA National Horse Show

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Randolph-Macon's own Elizabeth Bechtold put the college on the national stage as she won first place in her class at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) National Horse show.

On Friday, May 2, the freshman took home first in the Individual Novice--Flat against 16 other top ranked riders in the country.

Elizabeth Behold wins first place at IHSA National Horse Competition photo courtesy of: Randolph Macon College

According to a press release, this is the fourth year in a row Randolph-Macon Equestrian has sent a rider to the IHSA Horse show under Director of Equestrian John West.

"Coming in as a freshman, I was welcomed and encouraged by the coaching staff and team here at Randolph-Macon College. Head coach John has played a significant role in building my riding and horsemanship skills throughout this academic year," Bechtold said "This experience has been truly meaningful to me as I have worked hard this year to find my spot on our team."

Bechtold is the second rider next to Caitlyn Giese to win a national championship. Giese placed first in 2022 winning the Novice Flat title, and Kelsey Sullivan claimed third in 2024 for the Intermediate Over Fences class.

The Equestrian team at Randolph-Macon is comprised of 38 riders ranging from different skill sets along with head John West.

"I'm grateful to be achieving much more than that as part of the Randolph-Macon College Equestrian team. This process has shown me that if you work hard, you really can achieve any goal that you set," Bechtold said.