Margaret Swanson has earned the Lyon of the Week Award for the week of October 4-10 after leading the riding team to a High Point Championship at the Smith College Intercollegiate Horse Show on Saturday.
The junior not only finished the day as the High Point Rider, but she also claimed Intermediate High Point Rider accolades. As a team, Mount Holyoke took home 15 blue ribbons on its way to a perfect score of 49. It was the Lyons first regular season show of the 2010-11 campaign.
In addition to posting a first place finish in her section of the intermediate fences division, Swanson also grabbed top honors in her class of the intermediate flat division. By doing so, she qualified for the Zone 1, Region 3 Regional Championships in the intermediate flat division and made herself eligible for the open division.
Swanson has enjoyed a standout career at Mount Holyoke.
As a first year, she was named High Point Rider at the University of Massachusetts and Amherst Horse Shows. At the end of that year, she helped the Lyons to the Zone 1 Championship with her first place performance in the novice fences division. Swanson went on to participate in novice fences at the National Championships, where Mount Holyoke finished sixth.
Last season, Swanson was named Reserve High Point Rider and Reserve High Point Intermediate Rider at Mount Holyoke's fall show. She then collected High Point Intermediate Rider honors at the College's spring show. Swanson qualified for the National Championships, taking fifth place in novice fences.
