• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Lost Prairie Press

Lost Prairie Press

Trending News from the Midwest - IA, IL, KS, MO, NE

  • Home
  • MIDWEST
  • ILLINOIS
  • IOWA
  • KANSAS
  • MISSOURI
  • NEBRASKA
  • About Us
    • Contact Us

Big Red Elite Equestrian Team starts off first season strong, heads to nationals

{{featured_button_text}}

Big Red Elite Equestrian Team, 5.14

Big Red Elite Equestrian Team member Helene Keiser gives George a trim on Friday at the Lancaster Event Center.

Big Red Elite Equestrian Team, 5.14

Big Red Elite Equestrian Team members (from left) Elizabeth Funk, Avery Black, Caraline Higgins, Helene Keiser, Savannah Wubbels and coach Kelsey Ebke pose with George on Friday at the  Lancaster Event Center.

Luna Stephens

A new equestrian team based in Lancaster County is offering local youths the opportunity to show off their riding skills at the regional and national level.

Big Red Elite Equestrian Team is Nebraska’s first Interscholastic Equestrian Association riding team. The team started competing last fall and its high school team qualified for the national competition this summer.

The team practices at Cornerstone Stables in Hickman and includes about 17 middle- and high school-aged riders from Lincoln and surrounding areas. The team practices about once or twice a month, and riders also meet with coach Kelsey Ebke for private lessons more frequently, she said.

“We’re actually the first IEA team that’s been founded in Nebraska and the only one right now,” she said. “I have a girl on it from Gothenburg that travels three hours for practices.”

IEA competitions are different from other horse shows because they’re based solely on the rider’s skill, Ebke said. During competition, riders draw a random horse to ride.

“It’s not about who has the most expensive horse or who has the most expensive outfit and all that; it really comes down to their skill levels,” she said. “That’s been really fun for me to be able to take all that other stuff out of it and see how well they can do.”

The national competition will be in Fort Worth, Texas, at the end of June, and four of the team’s high schoolers will compete as a team there. One of the team’s middle schoolers also qualified individually for nationals, Ebke said.

Watch Now: New group brings roller skating back to Lincoln

Support Local Journalism

Your membership makes our reporting possible.

{{featured_button_text}}

Ebke said she wasn’t sure how much interest there would be in the team at first, so she was excited to see the riders perform so well in their first season of competition.

“As I started putting together a team, I realized we were quite talented,” she said. “It’s been really fun to just watch them grow and develop as riders over the year.”

Ebke is a horse trainer and judge and was on the equestrian team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She said she wanted to start the Big Red Elite team to offer similar opportunities to middle and high school students.

“I had an awesome experience on an equestrian team in college, so I wanted to give that opportunity to kids,” she said.

The Bay, Beyond School Bells launch youth-focused ‘freight farm’

While horse showing season is typically in the warmer months, the IEA season is in the winter, which Ebke said offers something for riders to do during the colder months.

“It’s just been a really fun environment for all the girls to have something to do,” she said. “It’s given us a way to keep going throughout the winter months as well.”

After nationals this summer, the team will start preparing for the next fall’s season. Ebke said she’s seen growing interest in the team and expects to see the team grow and other teams form in the state.

“We’ve gotten a lot of interest from other people in Lincoln and across the state,” she said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if others in Nebraska start popping up after ours.”

Lincoln family preserves history of their century-old home

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln Southeast’s Ally Keitges (left) and Caroline Miller celebrate a point against Lincoln Southwest’s Grace Bartolome and Ella Dean in the No. 1 Doubles match on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at Woods Tennis Center. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Ruth Sorilla, a canvasser with the South of Downtown Community Development Organization, hands out stickers to encourage voters at the group’s party at the polls on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at the F Street Community Center. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Columbus baseball players celebrate the win during the A-3 district final, Monday, May 10, 2021, at Den Hartog Field. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Columbus baserunner Samuel Kwapnioski (9) gets tagged out by Lincoln East pitcher Ryan Clementi (6) attempting to score from third on a wild pitch in the first inning on Saturday, May 8, 2021, during the A-3 district baseball game at Den Hartog Field. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Quad 4 Roller Sports instructor Bryce Pearson (left) helps student Sean Siedhoff of Lincoln with a skating move on Saturday, May 8, 2021, during a weekly lesson at the Lincoln Sports Foundation. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln Northeast first baseman Tristan Brandt (left) leaps for an errant throw as Bellevue East batter Brett Barton (8) reaches base safely on Friday, May 7, 2021, during the A-3 district baseball game at Den Hartog Field. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln East’s Lillie Shaw (22) is held by Elkhorn South’s Lillian Hulsey as she goes for the ball in the first half on Thursday, May 6, 2021, during the A-3 girls district championship at Seacrest Field. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln, a two-year-old pure bred German Shepherd, gives a water-soaked high-five to owner Sydney Otto, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student, before she throws a rubber toy into the water on Thursday, May 6, 2021, during a wonderfully warm day at Holmes Lake Park. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln North Star’s Bodie Duffy hits the ball, Thursday, May 6, 2021, at Holmes Golf Course. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

A bicyclist heads down a shaded Rock Island Trail on Thursday, May 6, 2021. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Papillion-La Vista South goalkeeper Andrew Streeter (bottom) goes for the ball at the feet of Lincoln Southwest’s Carter Novosad (9) and Titans teammate Peyton Hylok (top left) in the first half on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, during the A-1 boys district championship at Seacrest Field. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Randy Santel finishes his cookies and ice cream for the food challenge, Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at the Warm Cookie. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

A sign with tips about encountering coyotes greets park users on a trail east of Lincoln East High School on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at Woods Park. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Bill Ganzel (left) and his father Dwight Ganzel pose for a photo with a red heart pillow, Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Bill and Dwight had open heart surgery 23 years apart, and the father gave the son his red heart pillow after Bill didn’t receive it from the hospital. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln City Council incumbent Sandra Washington (right) hugs Kate Heltzel as fellow incumbent Bennie Shobe looks on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at the Democrats party at Tavern on the Square. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Tucker the dog prowls the voting booths set up for the Lincoln city general election at Frontier Harley-Davidson, where his owner works, on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Red Team quarterback Adrian Martinez (2) throws a pass as Huskers head coach Scott Frost looks on Saturday, May 1, 2021, during the annual Red-White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Nebraska football fans fill the stadium for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic as the Huskers hosts a team scrimmage during the Red-White Spring game on Saturday, May 1, 2021, at Memorial Stadium. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Omaha natives Samar Willits (left) and Zeina Renno celebrate as they near the finish line after completing a half marathon during the 2021 Lincoln Marathon on Sunday, May 2, 2021. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln Southeast’s Ally Keitges (left) and Caroline Miller celebrate a point against Lincoln Southwest’s Grace Bartolome and Ella Dean in the No. 1 Doubles match on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at Woods Tennis Center. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Ruth Sorilla, a canvasser with the South of Downtown Community Development Organization, hands out stickers to encourage voters at the group’s party at the polls on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at the F Street Community Center. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Columbus baseball players celebrate the win during the A-3 district final, Monday, May 10, 2021, at Den Hartog Field. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Columbus baserunner Samuel Kwapnioski (9) gets tagged out by Lincoln East pitcher Ryan Clementi (6) attempting to score from third on a wild pitch in the first inning on Saturday, May 8, 2021, during the A-3 district baseball game at Den Hartog Field. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Quad 4 Roller Sports instructor Bryce Pearson (left) helps student Sean Siedhoff of Lincoln with a skating move on Saturday, May 8, 2021, during a weekly lesson at the Lincoln Sports Foundation. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln Northeast first baseman Tristan Brandt (left) leaps for an errant throw as Bellevue East batter Brett Barton (8) reaches base safely on Friday, May 7, 2021, during the A-3 district baseball game at Den Hartog Field. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln East’s Lillie Shaw (22) is held by Elkhorn South’s Lillian Hulsey as she goes for the ball in the first half on Thursday, May 6, 2021, during the A-3 girls district championship at Seacrest Field. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln, a two-year-old pure bred German Shepherd, gives a water-soaked high-five to owner Sydney Otto, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student, before she throws a rubber toy into the water on Thursday, May 6, 2021, during a wonderfully warm day at Holmes Lake Park. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln North Star’s Bodie Duffy hits the ball, Thursday, May 6, 2021, at Holmes Golf Course. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

A bicyclist heads down a shaded Rock Island Trail on Thursday, May 6, 2021. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Papillion-La Vista South goalkeeper Andrew Streeter (bottom) goes for the ball at the feet of Lincoln Southwest’s Carter Novosad (9) and Titans teammate Peyton Hylok (top left) in the first half on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, during the A-1 boys district championship at Seacrest Field. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Randy Santel finishes his cookies and ice cream for the food challenge, Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at the Warm Cookie. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

A sign with tips about encountering coyotes greets park users on a trail east of Lincoln East High School on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at Woods Park. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Bill Ganzel (left) and his father Dwight Ganzel pose for a photo with a red heart pillow, Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Bill and Dwight had open heart surgery 23 years apart, and the father gave the son his red heart pillow after Bill didn’t receive it from the hospital. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Lincoln City Council incumbent Sandra Washington (right) hugs Kate Heltzel as fellow incumbent Bennie Shobe looks on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at the Democrats party at Tavern on the Square. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Tucker the dog prowls the voting booths set up for the Lincoln city general election at Frontier Harley-Davidson, where his owner works, on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Red Team quarterback Adrian Martinez (2) throws a pass as Huskers head coach Scott Frost looks on Saturday, May 1, 2021, during the annual Red-White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Nebraska football fans fill the stadium for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic as the Huskers hosts a team scrimmage during the Red-White Spring game on Saturday, May 1, 2021, at Memorial Stadium. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Top Journal Star photos for May

Omaha natives Samar Willits (left) and Zeina Renno celebrate as they near the finish line after completing a half marathon during the 2021 Lincoln Marathon on Sunday, May 2, 2021. KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Reach the writer at lstephens@journalstar.com or 402-473-7241.

0 comments

Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.

View Source

Filed Under: NEBRASKA

Primary Sidebar

More to See

a-roller-coaster-with-a-cult-following-is-coming-back-to-worlds-of-fun

A roller coaster with a cult following is coming back to Worlds of Fun

Next year Worlds of Fun will reach fifty years of business, and to celebrate it is bringing back one of its most legendary roller coasters: the Zambezi Zinger. At the time of Worlds of Fun’s opening … [Read More...] about A roller coaster with a cult following is coming back to Worlds of Fun

the-arabia-steamboat-museum-finally-seems-ready-to-shove-off-from-the-river-market

The Arabia Steamboat Museum finally seems ready to shove off from the River Market

Standing in the same location since 1857, the City Market is nearly as old as Kansas City itself. In the 1850s, over three hundred steamboats traveled on the Missouri River—including the Arabia before … [Read More...] about The Arabia Steamboat Museum finally seems ready to shove off from the River Market

tedxkc-is-friday,-lineup-includes-an-exciting-mix-of-topics

TEDxKC is Friday, lineup includes an exciting mix of topics

At 6 p.m. this Friday at the Kauffman Center, TEDxKC will have a lineup of ten speakers whose expertise range from a sky full of stars to the key to happiness to a MacArthur Genius. The theme is … [Read More...] about TEDxKC is Friday, lineup includes an exciting mix of topics

tyler-shane’s-beautiful-bonbons-have-a-deeper-meaning

Tyler Shane’s beautiful bonbons have a deeper meaning

Mesoamericans called it food of the gods. From central Mexico down to Honduras, where the cacao tree grows native, ancient Olmecs, Mayans and Aztecs would gather the oblong fruit and break open its … [Read More...] about Tyler Shane’s beautiful bonbons have a deeper meaning

review:-brookside-restaurants-brady-&-fox-and-earl’s-premier-bring-homestyle-cooking-from-opposite-sides-of-the-atlantic

Review: Brookside restaurants Brady & Fox and Earl’s Premier bring homestyle cooking from opposite sides of the Atlantic

The definition of “comfort food” tends to vary depending on who you ask. At two new Brookside restaurants, Brady & Fox and Earl’s Premier, the term applies both to time-honored Irish recipes and East … [Read More...] about Review: Brookside restaurants Brady & Fox and Earl’s Premier bring homestyle cooking from opposite sides of the Atlantic

Footer

WELCOME!

Thanks for visiting Lost Prairie Press!

We hope you’ll enjoy news and perspective from the Midwest – specifically, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri.

About/Contact

Privacy Policy

Recent

  • A roller coaster with a cult following is coming back to Worlds of Fun
  • The Arabia Steamboat Museum finally seems ready to shove off from the River Market
  • TEDxKC is Friday, lineup includes an exciting mix of topics

Search

Copyright © 2022 · Lost Prairie Press