Lake Erie College hosted the 54th annual Prix de Villes of North America horse shows including the Hunter Jumper competition on April 14-16 and the Dressage competition on April 21-23 with riders from across Ohio and neighboring states participating. Our LEC students had a strong showing, placing in several team competitions and winning individual awards and medals.

The shows began when Kenny Crumpton of the local Fox 8 Morning Show brought “Kickin’ it with Kenny” on-site at the George M. Humphrey Equestrian Center with live coverage starting at 6 a.m. on April 13. Faculty were interviewed about the two shows and the larger equestrian program while student riders demonstrated for the TV audience the finer points of both styles of riding.

During the first weekend of competition, featuring the Hunter Jumper Prix de Villes, Lake Erie College jumper riders took second place in the Emerging Jumper Team competition. LEC’s Leap of Faith team featured KK McKneill, Lauren Suyter, Ashley Ingham and Gloria Wahl, all riding LEC school horses. Junior LEC rider Hannah Belich won the coveted Charles E. Kinney Jr. Jumper Style Award.

The second weekend of competition showcased the Dressage Prix de Villes with a record number of riders participating. Under the guidance of LEC Instructor Debby Savage, LEC seniors Anna Pallante and Lynnette Burg earned USDF Bronze medals. No other college in the nation can claim ownership of this achievement.

The Prix de Villes is hosted at the George M. Humphrey Equestrian Learning Center of Lake Erie College. This modern educational facility helps to deliver the best experience to Lake Erie College equine students and visitors during classes and events and is one of the premier equestrian learning venues of its type in the nation.

The Lake Erie College School of Equine Studies continues to grow in reputation and acclaim and students come from all corners of the country and abroad. LEC offers four undergraduate Bachelor of Science degrees in the School of Equine Studies: Equestrian Facility Management, Equine Business Administration, Equestrian Teacher Trainer - English, and Equine Therapeutic Horsemanship. Additionally, LEC offers a very popular Certificate in Equine Massage Therapy for our graduates. Our equine studies students are passionate about horses, and they have come to Lake Erie to learn and build their skills and to claim a career in the horse industry.

The College proudly supports three powerful equestrian teams: IHSA Hunt Seat, IHSA Western, and Intercollegiate Dressage.